An Heir
by Lily Kalanoa
Summary: Miroku's curse is weighing heavily on his mind and he takes some time to think about it alone. But when a completely unexpected and unwanted option comes up, what will the monk do? MiroxSess YAOI nothing explicit, but you've been warned.
1. Escape

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Hello and welcome to my insanity. This is my first posted InuYasha fic (Believe doesn't count, it was a poem) and I hope you all like it very much. I was debating over whether to put this into chapters or post it as a one-shot. As you'll be able to soon tell, chapters won. I will try and finish posting quickly, however, as I would love to hear what people think of the finished work.

**A / N 2: **This story is specially dedicated to Katalyst and Sunfreak. I forget whose stories I read first, but these are the two that turned me on to MiroxSess and, apparently, the only freaking writers out there that _write_ said pairing. TT So, this is dedicated to them, I hope you both read and love. Oh, and sorry all MiroXSango fans out there. I do pay tribute to you, but it ain't happening.

-o-o-o-o-o-

He hurt. Again. To be more specific, his hand hurt. Miroku had been grateful an hour ago when his small band of traveling companions decided to stop for the night. Kagome had gratefully slumped onto a fallen log and began fishing food from her bag. Sango had run around with Shippo, gathering wood and starting a fire. Inu Yasha, grumbling about having to stop at all, scouted the surrounding woods, making certain there were no dangerous youkai in the area.

But Miroku hurt and simply wanted to sit. He leaned against a large rock and stared at the flickering flames in front of him. He gave no response to Kagome and therefore received no supper. He didn't care.

Miroku could remember when his life was simpler. When he was a child, when the full weight of his curse had yet to hit him. Back then, his hand hadn't hurt much. It had been more of a dull throb in his palm that he'd only feel every couple of weeks. As the years wore on, however, so did the pain grow. Now what had been a dull ache had grown into a stabbing pain that lanced up to his shoulder three or four times a week.

"Miroku? Hey, Miroku!" The monk startled and turned to see Sango looking at him worriedly. "Are you all right? Everyone's bedding down for the night."

"Oh, yes, sorry. I guess I'll take first watch." He didn't elaborate, simply waited for Sango to walk away and curl near the fire to sleep. Miroku watched her for a minute before focusing on the fire once again. Sango was so sweet and she cared so much about him. Miroku knew she loved him the same way she loved Kohaku. It didn't matter what he did, she would always love him.

And it could not be denied that Miroku loved her as well. He could see himself living with her, loving her, having a life with her . . . Another stab of pain shattered the monk's daydream. Dreams and fantasies were all well and good, but they could never come true. Sango wanted to be romanced, swept off her feet, _deserved_ to be loved fully.

Miroku couldn't give her that. It was simply impossible to give her what she wanted. It was a fact that Miroku chased women and would sleep with them in a second, if any of them agreed. He was driven by the need for an heir and until Naraku was dead, that wouldn't change.

Miroku stayed there for a long time, simply staring into the fire, mulling the tragedies of his life over and over in his head. Sango's turn to stand watch came and went, but Miroku made no move to either wake her or go to sleep himself. With dawn still several hours away, it was Inu Yasha to finally break the stillness of the night. He rolled over, internal clock waking him for his own turn to stand watch and rose to his feet facing Miroku and the fire. The monk had his back to the hanyou and Inu Yasha frowned. The monk shouldn't still be up. He wasn't moving, slumped over . . . had he fallen asleep?

Inu Yasha was quickly working himself into a pretty good fit. Angry, he was ready to wake the monk with a knock on his head. Only a few strides away though, Miroku spoke, stopping the half-demon in his tracks. "It's been quiet all night. There are a number of small youkai watching us, but none are brave enough to attack. The fire won't last much longer without more wood." Miroku stood, keeping his back to Inu Yasha. "I'm going for a walk, I might not be back until sunrise." Completely stunned, Inu Yasha grunted his acknowledgment and watched the monk disappear into the surrounding forest.

Miroku let the night swallow him, his feet carrying him where they willed. He walked perhaps a half hour before coming to a small stream. Still troubled with thoughts of pain and death and a life of loneliness, he sat on a small boulder and did his best to meditate. Miroku tried to calm his mind and ignore the pain in his arm. He gazed at the glass water before him, counting each ripple as it went past. He lifted his gaze, shifting from the reflection of the moon to the real thing. It was a full moon tonight, and the beauty was breathtaking. Finally, Miroku began to relax.

For a few minutes he forgot about his life, about how much he wanted to be with Sango and how much it hurt knowing it could never happen. He forgot about his constant arguments with Inu Yasha, about his father and his curse. Forgot – Miroku let his eyes slip closed – about Naraku.

Life was trying to bring Miroku out of his blissful meditation. Off in the woods he heard something approaching him. It was small, moving quickly, and coming directly towards him. Miroku ignored it. He could sense demons, hear what sounded like a frightened child, still he refused to return to reality. The sounds burst through onto the riverbank, but Miroku kept his eyes closed. They were right behind him when the child tripped. He could hear her startled scream; Miroku swore the demons hissed with glee. He could ignore it no longer.

Miroku spun, not even rising from the stone on which he sat. He caught the falling child with his left arm while his right continued the circle, propelling his staff into and through the pursuing demons. And then they were gone.

The small girl was trembling slightly and Miroku held still as she calmed down. Finally she pulled back, still seeming highly agitated. "You have to help!" she cried as she looked up at her savior.

Miroku recognized the girl as the one who traveled with Sesshoumaru. Was her name Rin? She began pulling on his sleeve, urging him to follow her. The monk took a moment to search the woods, refusing to be moved. "We can't go back that way, there are a lot more demons."

Rin looked up at him as if he'd just denied her desert. "Please, you have to help him!" She dropped his sleeve and darted towards the tree line.

Miroku gave a startled yelp and dashed after the girl into the forest. Every tree and bush seemed to catch at him while Rin slipped by unobstructed, so when Miroku did catch up with her, they had reached another small clearing. Miroku stopped dead, drew a deep, hissing breath, and his eyes widened, all in very quick succession.

There in front of him, lying prone in the center of the clearing was Sesshoumaru himself. The demon lord was on his stomach, arm stretched out in front of him. Only inches away lay toukijin, as if Sesshoumaru was reaching for it when he was struck down. The little toad – Jaken – stood in front of him, waving his staff rather frantically and chasing off demons with its fire. That was the other reason for his shock. Miroku stood transfixed by the sight of dozens upon dozens of lesser demons. It was small wonder Sesshoumaru had been felled. None of the demons were very strong by themselves, but the sheer number was baffling. And the corpses that littered the grass were proof enough that there had been many more.

Rin had not stopped at the tree line with Miroku. She ran forward, little hands covering her head as if that would protect her. When she ducked behind Jaken's limited protection, the green imp looked up, eyes falling on the frozen monk. "Rin, why did you bring _him_ back here? I thought you were going to find someone helpful!"

The words barely registered, but Miroku was forced into action none the less as several of the nearer demons turned on him. With a grunt, Miroku began fighting, working towards the center of the field.

Miroku reached Rin, cleverly dodging a gout of flame from the toad, and crouched beside her. He kept one wary eye on Sesshoumaru as he gripped Rin's little arm. "We need to get away from here." But Rin didn't move, valiantly pulling back so she wouldn't be dragged away. Miroku hesitated again before he dropped his hold.

Reaching into his robes in one practiced movement, Miroku threw his charms out. He rose and joined the fight in earnest, laying into the attacking demons. He took up a position so his back was to Jaken and Rin – and Sesshoumaru, he grudgingly admitted. He couldn't effectively use his Kazaana, but there was less chance of a demon being able to flank them.

There was no end to the creatures, it seemed, and Miroku fought several minutes like that. Then, behind him, Jaken gave a yelp of either pain or surprise and Rin screamed. The monk spun to protect the child, but it cost him his staff as it was caught and hurled across the grass.

No good, there were too many to fight off with sutras alone. Miroku looked around, gauging the area Jaken was keeping free of attackers. He'd have to erect a barrier and hope Sesshoumaru came to soon. Miroku repressed a shiver at the thought and started the spell.

It was as if something knocked him hard in the side of the head. The barrier wouldn't form and Miroku looked around for the cause. There, Toukijin was crossing the line of the spell; he had to move the sword. Miroku reached for it and dangerous energy crackled around the hilt. The monk hesitated, not wanting to brave the demonic energy, but there was no other choice. Quickly, he grabbed the pommel with his left hand, already creating the barrier with a wave of his right, and pulled the weapon inside so that it lay beside its proper owner.

A groan of pain escaped his lips as he positioned his hands to keep up the spell, but he ignored the vibrant new burn. Rin whimpered in fear, but the attacking demons could not reach them to do any actual harm. Already Miroku could feel his energy waning. If Sesshoumaru did not awaken soon, the demons would get through. And if he did, Miroku was certain, his fate may very well be much worse.

-o-o-o-o-o-

His senses returned to him slowly, and with them a rush of memory. The battle had been . . . pointless. And enormous. More than a hundred youkai swarming on a single target. Perhaps even more than that, Sesshoumaru wasn't certain. And at the center of it all, the only demon of decent power. The brat son of an enemy long dead who had finally come of age. Kirin.

By himself, the boy was no threat, not even a mild concern. He would have been dealt with in his own time if this hadn't come up. He wasn't even that powerful! Smoke and mirrors and cheap tricks, that was all there was to him. But it had been enough to let the boy get in one good, solid blow and disarm the youkai lord. Sesshoumaru had lunged for the blade . . . if the throbbing at the base of his skull was any indication, Kirin had managed to knock him out.

It would never have happened if he hadn't been protecting Rin. Jaken could take care of himself, but Kirin had made a direct attack on the little human girl. Sesshoumaru focused on the here and now. He had been unconscious in the middle of a battle. He had managed to survive, but he needed to regroup. He could sense many demons still surrounding him, could smell their sickly sweet breath. Rin was there, too, and Jaken, both smelling extremely frightened.

And there was someone else. His scent was vaguely familiar, but Sesshoumaru couldn't place it. The unknown man didn't seem to be moving and his breath was ragged and uneven, like a sprinter after a big race. Sesshoumaru tensed. Was it possible Kirin had defeated Jaken as well? Would the water demon have stayed to gloat without killing him? Well, that would have been very foolish indeed.

All at once, Sesshoumaru was moving. Dimly he registered the profile of the monk that traveled with Inu Yasha as his taloned hand closed around the startled boy's throat. Miroku gasped, his eyes widening, but he didn't move to defend himself. All he could manage was a feeble, "Please don't." Sesshoumaru left his claws where they were, but didn't deliver the killing blow. "If-if you force me to move, the barrier will fall."

Slowly the demon lord let his gaze drift around the field, taking in the demons kept at bay, presumably by the monk's will alone. He also spotted Toukijin lying beside them. "Then let it fall," he sneered and stood, pushing Miroku off balance as he did so.

The barrier faded and Sesshoumaru scooped up his sword. Behind him, Miroku scrambled to his feet. He didn't even have time to pull out a charm before the first demon was on him. Hand to hand fighting was tiring and within minutes, Miroku had drifted away from Sesshoumaru several yards. Looking around, he spotted his staff lying in the grass; if he could get to it, he would stand a chance.

A humanoid demon hit Miroku with no warning. The monk lurched to the side, attempting to disentangle from the beast. A well-placed charm freed him, but another demon was there to take his place. Miroku felt something wrap around his ankle and between the two attackers, he toppled to the ground. Miroku could see his staff clearly, still several yards away.

Miroku struggled, but knew he was on the losing end of this grapple. His eyes slipped to Sesshoumaru and Miroku felt a surge of anger. He had helped the demon! Quite possibly saved his life! And if not him, certainly Rin and now he was just going to let him die. But what was he thinking? Of course the youkai wouldn't help him. Another demon appeared, blocking his view and seconds later, Miroku fell into blackness.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A / N: **All right, before any raging Sesshoumaru fans hunt me down to inflict serious bodily harm – YES, I know that Sess is tough and I know that a lot of you think he could take on that many demons _without_ getting knocked out. Bare with me here, I give the demon his dues. Aside from the fact that _I_ believe this to be realistic, no matter how strong he is, it's a darn useful plot device, don't you think? So just keep cool, you'll be satisfied with this I think.


	2. Proposition

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Hello again, everyone. Kalanoa here to welcome you back! Here you have it, the second chapter of 'An Heir'. I'm so glad you enjoyed the beginning. I'd like to let you know that this _will_ be staying as a T rated fic. There is a lemon scene in the last chapter (heh, spoiler) but I consider it to be tasteful, so I'm taking my chances. Anyway, just thought you should know.

**A / N 2: **I would like to thank Jo, hallelujah, and AnimeNymph for their reveiws, I love reveiws. Especially positive, if short, reveiws. Thank you so much. I also, of course, thank tasukigirl78 who gave a much longer reveiw. Plot holes? I didn't think I had any, I wonder if I really do take care of them . . . And thank you for thinking I'm writing them in character! I do try, though I push it sometimes. I cannot garauntee they will stay in char through the whole fic, but I swear neither of them get super girlie - I've noticed that in some fics too and I'm with you. Don't like it at all. Like I said, Sunfreak and Katalyst019 turned me on to this particular strange pairing. I highly recomend their work to anyone who likes this fic or this pairing. Thank you all again for reading.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku groaned and forced his eyes open. His breath caught in surprise as he was greeted with a young, worried face. Seeing he was awake, Rin broke into a smile and pulled away. "Sesshoumaru-sama! He's awake, he's awake!"

Miroku looked around with some difficulty and saw Sesshoumaru standing several paces away, Jaken next to him. He started to sit up and fell back in agony. The ache in his chest flared to excruciating and Miroku wrapped one arm around himself. Rin had bounced over to her keeper and looked back at Miroku worriedly, but none of the three made any move to help him.

Miroku groaned again and shifted carefully so he was at least partly upright. His staff was beside him. Miroku frowned, but used the rod to push himself onto his feet. New wounds and injuries hindered his every move. It seemed some creature had tried to take a bite out of his midsection. Nearly succeeded, too, and there were deep cuts and scratches all over his chest and legs. A particularly deep gash in his right wrist cut right through the cloth he wore, narrowly missing the beads and making it painful to hold the supportive staff. But the burn on his other hand made it impossible to hold the staff any other way, and he could not stand unaided at this point.

Again, Miroku looked at Sesshoumaru. "Where are we?" He received no answer and wondered why he'd even bothered asking. With a critical eye, he looked around at the trees; they were different from the earlier clearing. Miroku frowned and looked at the sun, trying to gauge the time.

The sun. It was rising; it had still been pitch black when he was knocked out. Silently, Miroku cursed, the others would just be getting up and noticing his absence. He could only hope they continued on the way they were going, he might be able to meet with them at the next town. He took a hesitant step into the forest and had to stop, vision going white from the pain of movement. Sesshoumaru made a thoughtful noise and Miroku turned to him again. "What?" he asked angrily.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Wherever you've brought me, we're north of where we were. Trees like this don't grow that far south. I'm going east, there should be a village not far from here."

Sesshoumaru made another thoughtful noise and arched one eyebrow. "You're very observant." Miroku glared. "The village is southeast along a forest stream. At least seven hours for a human to walk. More, as injured as you are."

Miroku's eyes widened and then fell, defeated. He wasn't sure he could make it that far alone. "There is another choice." Miroku looked up again, hopeful. Sesshoumaru made a lazy motion behind him. "My palace is just north of here. You could reach it in twenty minutes, even in your current condition."

Miroku's mouth fell open slightly in surprise. "Your – your palace?"

"I will not force you to come."

Miroku stood in shock a moment longer. He looked into the forest in the direction of the village and frowned. There was really no choice. "All right."

Sesshoumaru turned, hardly waiting for Miroku as he strode through the trees. Miroku followed as quickly as he was able, but his chest and leg were very badly injured. Sesshoumaru's step was carefully measured, keeping him several yards in front of the monk. But every time the human would stumble, he would pause.

It actually took nearly an hour to reach the estate, which was indeed a large, sprawling mansion. Miroku paused, a low whistle escaping his lips. The columns supporting the roof glinted golden in the sunlight, the grounds were covered with lush vegetation and bright flowers. "Beautiful . . ." he whispered. As if responding to the compliment, Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped around Miroku's arm, dragging him up the gravel path.

Only once they were inside did Sesshoumaru release him. "Clean yourself up, Rin," the demon growled. The girl chirped an affirmative and ran off with Jaken as Sesshoumaru turned back to Miroku.

Miroku swallowed thickly, suddenly nervous. "If you'll just tell me where I'll be out of the way . . ." Sesshoumaru leaned forward without warning. His hand tangled in the monk's robes as their lips pressed together. Miroku yelped and pulled away, pain temporarily forgotten. "What are you doing?"

Sesshoumaru showed no sign of emotion, gazing steadily at the boy in front of him. "This is how it is done among humans, is it not?"

"How _what_ is done?"

The slightest frown pulled at the demon's lips. "It has been brought to my attention – rather painfully – that I am in need of an heir. I spent the time while you were unconscious dredging up all my knowledge of you. If I recall, you are in a similar situation."

Miroku stumbled back until he could sense the wall behind him. Sesshoumaru moved with him, refusing to let the distance between them change. How did this happen? How did Miroku get into this mess? It was true that Miroku had thought of being with other men, though he was loathe to admit it. There had been times when he nearly acted on the temptation. One of the only reasons he had never approached Koga was the wolf's obvious love for Kagome. Besides . . . "We're both men," he managed to stutter out.

"Don't be foolish, monk. Demons are not constrained by such boundaries." He moved foreword again and Miroku jerked away, his back contacting solidly with the wall, tearing a cry of pain from him. Sesshoumaru growled – the noise almost lost. "Do you humans not kiss like this? I am attempting to make you comfortable. Tell me what you want done."

"It doesn't work that way!" Miroku was shaking – cornered and hurt, practically helpless. "The actions mean nothing without sincerity behind them."

"I am not familiar with, nor do I wish to become accustomed to the mating rituals of humans." Sesshoumaru knocked away the monk's staff – raised as a final defense.

Miroku was held immobile. He squeezed his eyes shut, praying this wasn't really happening. "Please don't do this." An eternity seemed to pass before anything happened. Miroku opened his eyes slowly as Sesshoumaru released his grip.

"You're bleeding again. Jaken will show you to a room. Rest."

"I . . . I should leave," Miroku said shakily. He'd won for now, but that wouldn't last.

"You will stay until you've regained some strength." The demon's tone left no room for argument.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku lay on the futon. He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but lunch had come and gone – a bowl of rice with fresh fruit and fried fish. Miroku was getting hungry again.

How had this happened? Just last night he'd been with his friends, happy. Or about as happy as he ever was these days. But he had to wander off, he had to get involved. Save the girl, save the demon . . . Get saved by the demon, get . . .

His hand hurt. As the day wore on, his other injuries had settled, dulling the pain. But his hand hurt worse. Miroku threw an arm over his eyes, wincing at the pain it caused, and focused on the stabbing in his hand. That, at least, was something familiar. After some time like that, the door of his room rolled open and Miroku forced his body to move to where he could see the visitor.

Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway, framed from behind with silvery light. In front of him, clutching a large crate with a messy character for medicine scrawled upon it, stood Rin. She waddled – there was no other word for it as she lugged her burden – into the room and practically crashed to the ground beside the monk. She looked up at him with big eyes. "You're hurt, Miroku-sama. I'm gonna make you all better, okay?"

Miroku blinked. How did she know his name? He hadn't mentioned it, had Sesshoumaru remembered it? He nodded at Rin, pushing the thought aside, and sat up painfully. Rin was already piling various medical supplies onto the floor, more than enthusiastic. Miroku smiled and reached out, grasping one of her hands with his right. His smile disappeared as he again saw the gash on his wrist and he pulled back slightly. "Slow down, little one. Have you done this before?" His voice held a hint of nervousness.

The child smiled brightly. "Rin brought fish to Sesshoumaru-sama when he was hurt! And Rin is always fixing Jaken's ouchies. He is very clumsy," she added in a whisper.

That brought back Miroku's grin and he watched silently as Rin pushed up his robes to look at his legs. She was surprisingly gentle as she cleaned out the deep cuts and surprisingly firm as she wrapped them. She repeated the process with the monk's arms and leaned back, apparently satisfied with her work. Miroku's fear as she treated his wrist turned out to be foundless. "You're all better now!"

Miroku smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. "I certainly am. Thank you."

Rin squealed in delight before she stood and scurried out of the room. Miroku watched her go before letting his smile drop. Sesshoumaru didn't leave. In fact, he strode to the monk's side and knelt. "She is clever, if not overly talented." Sesshoumaru's hand lanced out almost too fast to see, keen claws stripping away one section of bandages on the monk's leg. "This will need stitches." Miroku squawked embarrassingly at the action and leaned away from the demon.

Sesshoumaru was reaching more slowly for the collar of his robes and Miroku reached up, holding it shut at the 'v' where they intersected. "Wait, stop."

Sesshoumaru paused, but growled deep in his throat. "Rin did not treat the wounds on your chest. They need to be wrapped."

Miroku began to protest, shaking his head, but Sesshoumaru was moving again. He pulled away Miroku's hand and pulled the robe back over his shoulders. Miroku squawked again, the blush in his cheeks growing significantly. He wriggled slightly, working his arms out from where they were now trapped in the garment. Sesshoumaru was already working, single hand deftly treating the painful injury. And taking none of the care that Rin had. Miroku twitched repeatedly, struggling to keep from crying out in pain. Finally the demon was done and Miroku struggled instead to catch his breath.

Sesshoumaru's hand lingered, claws brushing against the sensitive skin at Miroku's waist in something that was definitely intentional. The monk reacted on instinct and pulled back, trying to raise his still trapped hands in defense. A tiny ball of panic rose in his chest and Miroku fell onto his back, kicking at the demon in front of him. Sesshoumaru growled and reappeared above the monk, his hand resting around the other's throat. "I could very easily take what I want. You should consider yourself blessed that I am doing what I am to please you."

Miroku whimpered slightly and turned his eyes away. Still, there was venom in his voice as he replied, underscoring the fear. "Rape is rape no matter how you go about it. I didn't agree to this, I'm not going to!"

"Do you want to see what I can truly do, monk?" He allowed his claws to sink into the man's neck as warning. "I gave you the choice to come here or not. I am going out of my way to do things as you should be accustomed."

Miroku interrupted the demon, surprising them both. "I've already told you it's not the same. Romance isn't romance without the emotion. There's no point to love if it isn't meant. So if you're going to do it, then do it and get it over with. We both know I can't stop you!" He was glaring at the demon now, using anger to mask the terror he felt in this position.

Sesshoumaru showed no sign of emotion as he hesitated. Then he pulled away, climbing off of the prone monk. Miroku wasted no time getting up and shrugged his robes back into their proper place with some effort. Sesshoumaru was already heading to the door. "Dinner will be shortly. Turn right and go to the end of the hall." Then the demon was gone, sliding the door firmly closed behind him.

Miroku stared at the closed door in shock. Dinner? The dog had to be mad if he thought Miroku was going to join him for dinner. The monk sighed and lay back down as his stomach growled at him.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	3. Rituals

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: I'm back! Sorry, I actualy ment to post this yesterday, guess I forgot. Oh well, here it is. Next chapter is the last chapter (Yes, it has a citrus scene) and it will be posted at the end of the weekend or possibly on Monday. After that, I will work on my next peice - a sequel to An Heir. You heard me right, a sequel. Not sure when I'll have it done, but the positive reveiws make me eager to try.

**A / N 2: **Anyway, speaking of reviews - If this story has more than 200 hits, why do I only have 8 reviews? Oh well, I still love having 8! Many thanks again go out to jo and tasukigirl and I welcome Shinna and 'Miroku and Fluffy 4 ever', though I'm honestly not surprised that she likes this story. I am happy, though, that she appreciates my style as well - thanks!

-o-o-o-o-o-

The sliding door was pristine white. Around the edges of each square of paper was a delicately painted design. They were small red and lavender flowers twisting around delicate green vines. Whoever had painted it was extremely skilled as each design was nearly identical. The only notable deviation was the shape of the tiny orchid that was in the bottom right corner of each design.

Miroku knew all this because he had been standing at the closed door for nearly five minutes. Just beyond, he knew Sesshoumaru and food were waiting for him. In the end, his stomach had won out and Miroku had limped down the hallway in search of dinner. Yet he couldn't seem to muster the courage to open the door. With another growl from his stomach, Miroku drew a deep breath, wincing as his wounds were stretched.

The door slid open to reveal an ornately decorated dining room. It was sparsely furnished in the traditional Shinto fashion, but with several accent pieces that had to cost a small fortune. A low table was off to one side of the room, laden with several dishes that looked absolutely delicious. Seated around it were Sesshoumaru, Jaken, and Rin. The little human girl looked up as Miroku opened the door and her eyes widened. She clapped her hands together in joy, "Miroku-sama is here! That means we can start eating, right Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The demon lord nodded imperceptibly and Rin cheered, eagerly beginning to transfer food onto her plate. Miroku blinked, staring at the gathering before him. "You . . . were waiting for me?"

Sesshoumaru lifted his gaze to stare at the boy. "That is what humans do, is it not?"

Miroku blinked, stunned. "Yes," he mumbled, "if they have any manners." He glanced at his staff and leaned it against the wall. It seemed hypocritical to talk about good manners and then bring a weapon to the dinner table. Miroku sighed – even if it was the table of a lethal demon. But without the staff he stumbled painfully, nearly falling onto the food as he attempted to kneel to the floor.

Sesshoumaru watched him in silence before letting out a small huff. "There is no need to be so formal, it has to be painful to sit like that." Miroku looked at the demon, shocked. Gently he shifted into a more comfortable position and began dishing food for himself.

Through dinner, Rin chatted happily. She went on about anything that popped into her head, from flowers and plants to new games she was forcing Jaken to play with her. She didn't seem to mind that no one else was willing to join the conversation. Miroku continued glancing at the silver demon always to find him staring at the monk in turn.

Halfway through the meal, Miroku couldn't take any more. He slammed his chopsticks onto the table, staring at the rice still in his bowl. "Why?"

"Jaken, take Rin and leave." Was Sesshoumaru's response.

Miroku didn't wait for the departure. Every time so far that he'd been alone with the demon, things had spiraled out of control. He rushed his words, trying to maintain an audience and the minimal safety that came with it. "Tell me why you're doing this. Is it simply convenience? I was the first one you saw?" He snapped his head up, glaring at the impassive demon across the table. "Just anyone would do, human or demon, and you simply choose me at random?"

Sesshoumaru said nothing, but looked at the frozen Jaken. The imp leapt to his feet and ran for the door, dragging Rin behind. Miroku tried to stand, but found he couldn't without aid. He cursed himself for leaving his staff beside the door. "I'm sure there are many who would willingly give you an heir. Are you so hateful that you would force this on me simply because it was easier?" He stared up at the demon as Sesshoumaru stood, towering over him.

Rin was gone now. The door slid firmly shut behind her and the imp and Miroku felt his safety flit away. He'd done it now and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Sesshoumaru didn't approach him. "Why did you fight for me?"

The question was unexpected and Miroku blinked dumbly a moment before he could answer. "Rin was-"

"It would have been far easier to take the child and flee to safety. Any number of those demons could have killed you. You had to know I would likely do the same."

Miroku could feel himself shaking. His gaze dropped to the table again. "What difference does it make? What's done is done and I've doomed myself to your fancies. All I wanted was to protect her, I couldn't tear her aside knowing how painful it would be for her to lose you."

Sesshoumaru was suddenly beside him and Miroku flinched away. When one strong white-clad arm wrapped around his shoulders he tensed, but didn't bother with any more resistance than that. To his surprise, Sesshoumaru stood, lightly placing Miroku to stand on his own. "You made a decision to protect me. You did not have to, and I respect that. I am attempting to make you comfortable because of a similar decision. If you've had enough to eat, I suggest you rest." The demon suddenly had Miroku's staff and held it out for the boy to take.

Miroku leaned on the support. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, barely audible. "I've not been a gracious guest. No matter your reasons, you saved my life, and I have yet to thank you." He leaned away from the demon, slowly heading towards the door. "I am not thanking you now, either."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku barely slept. If the agony of his wounds wasn't distracting him, his troubled thoughts were. When he did slip into sleep's gentle embrace, it was only to toss with nightmares and wake in a cold sweat. When morning finally came, it was a welcome relief. When the paper door slid open not long after to admit Sesshoumaru with no Rin in sight, it was anything but.

Miroku let his eyes slip closed and his voice trembled when he spoke. "I do not have the energy to fight you, just-"

"Sit up, I came here to check your wounds."

Miroku opened his eyes, a frown creasing his brow. "My wounds?"

"Sit up." Sesshoumaru repeated. Miroku obeyed, untying his robes. _Why bother fighting_ he thought miserably. Sesshoumaru trailed his hand lightly over each wound, checking the wrappings and looking for signs of infection. He reached Miroku's wrist and gently traced the tear in the cloth. "Will you need a new covering?"

"It is the beads that contain my curse. And if they had been damaged, we would not be here discussing it."

Sesshoumaru nodded mutely and continued his examination. His claws trailed over the boy's chest and then down his other arm, pausing when Miroku flinched in pain. The demon looked more closely, noticing a deepening scar along the mound of the monk's thumb. He reached over, twisting the monk's wrist so he could see his palm. Miroku hissed in pain, but said nothing. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly as he recognized the pattern of Toukijin's pommel. "Why did you not mention this?"

Miroku looked at the burn and frowned. "It didn't occur to me."

"It didn't occur that you were in pain?" Sesshoumaru pondered, bemused.

"It didn't occur to me to tell you."

Sesshoumaru released his hold and Miroku let his hand fall limp to the futon beside him. A frown tugged at the demon's mouth. He reached over to the medical kit – left there from the night before – and removed a healing salve. With unexpected dexterity and gentleness, he applied the cream to the monk's hand and wrapped it in fresh bandages. When he was finished, he returned the supplies to the crate and stood. "I would like to see you in the gardens once you are ready."

Miroku looked up at the demon. "That's it? You're not-"

"Kindly hurry." Sesshoumaru left before the monk could say anything else.

It wasn't long before Miroku found his host, leaning gently against a wall that had been claimed by some crawling green plant he could not name. He stopped several paces behind him, knowing he didn't need to announce his presence. "Where is Rin?"

"Jaken has taken her to the village."

Miroku hung his head. "Then this is it?" Sesshoumaru reached up, plucking an orange blossom from an overhanging tree branch. He turned, holding the flower out to the monk. Miroku's breath caught and he frowned. "I've resolved not to put up meaningless protests, you can stop with the false shows of emotion."

The dog demon lowered his hand, dropping the flower to the ground. "I have seen humans exchange flowers in courtship. Is this not proper?"

"What about demons? You keep talking about what humans do, what do demons do for courtship?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "You would not understand."

"And you understand the significance of giving flowers?"

For a moment there was silence. Sesshoumaru nodded slightly, "You are correct. When a demon chooses to take a mate, they usually prove their worth by offering a fresh kill to the prospective partner. The more dangerous or rare the kill, the more importance it has."

Miroku frowned, going slightly green. "Isn't there anything a little less . . . bloody?" Sesshoumaru looked at him again in silence.

Slowly the demon moved forward. "There is one thing." He raised his hand, pushing the monk's robes aside and gripping his shoulder. Miroku drew a hissing breath as the dog demon lowered his mouth to his collarbone, sinking his fangs into the delicate flesh there. Miroku yelped and jerked away, but the grip on his shoulder held him immobile. After a moment, Sesshoumaru pulled away. His eyes were lidded and a faint blush marked his cheekbones, standing out against the pale skin while disappearing in the dark markings. His lips were slightly parted and just a hint of blood could be seen on his exposed fangs.

It took a moment for the youkai to come back to himself and his voice was slightly husky as he spoke. "Normally . . . the chosen mate would . . . return the bite." His speech was hesitant, as if it were difficult for him to make sense of his own thoughts. "If-if the courtship is refused . . . the chosen mate could easily kill from that position. It – it is an act of trust, and devotion."

Miroku was shaking again, but he was no longer sure it was from fear alone. "I likely couldn't kill you, even if I tried."

Sesshoumaru straightened, regaining his cold composure. "That is not really the point, is it? I have been informed that Inu Yasha is nearing the village. I will arrange for you to be brought there to meet him." Sesshoumaru turned away, walking back into the palace. "Rin will miss you, you may wish to leave her something."

Miroku stood frozen, watching the demon leave. Slowly, his hand went to the fresh bite at his collar as his mind worked over what had just happened.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	4. Desire

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: As I said, this story has remained T because I beleive it to be written tastefully. If anyone has a problem with this, I ask that you tell me first, before reporting me, and I will change the rating. Otherwise, please enjoy the end of the first part of An Heir.

**A / N 2: **Ah, I love you all my dear reviewers. I write for the readers, but I live for the reviews!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sesshoumaru was seated at a table in a small room, eyes nearly shut in thought. There was a small cup of tea in front of him, but the demon was ignoring it. Slowly he shook his head. He marked him, he had actually marked the human. He sighed. How had the damn monk affected him so greatly? It didn't matter, he would be gone soon enough.

The demon lord had not expected Miroku to follow him. When the human slid open the door, Sesshoumaru didn't move. Miroku stepped up to the low table slowly and lowered himself to the floor. He set his staff off to the side and set his burden on the table in front of the demon. It was the orange blossom and several other small blooms. Sesshoumaru stared at the flowers.

Miroku leaned back with a sigh. "Flowers are things of beauty. They are innocent, lovely, fragrant. I know you understand or you wouldn't have such a beautiful garden. When someone gives flowers, they are giving beauty, they are giving the world. I've – never actually given flowers to anyone. It's never felt right."

Sesshoumaru looked up from the flowers to gaze at the monk. "But you are giving these to me?"

Miroku leaned towards the demon, taking advantage of his shock. He put shaking hands on his shoulders and leaned into his neck. The bite was light, hesitant. Still Sesshoumaru's breath caught and his hand went to tangle in the monk's hair, holding the unsure boy in place. Encouraged, Miroku bit down harder and was rewarded with a low groan from the other man.

After a moment, Miroku pulled away, surprised when Sesshoumaru's hand held him for a second before letting him retreat. The demon caught Miroku's eyes with his own heated gaze. "If you leave now, Miroku, I will still let you go."

Miroku was blushing furiously and he couldn't bring himself to look away. "I'm not going to leave." Sesshoumaru barely waited for the words to leave his mouth before he was on Miroku again, nibbling lightly at his neck. It was the monk's turn to moan as the light nips sent fire across his skin. Miroku broke away, reaching for the other's face, pulling him forward into a kiss.

Sesshoumaru groaned into the kiss, tilting Miroku's head to deepen it. Suddenly the monk hissed in pain and Sesshoumaru pulled back, alarmed. He frowned before leaning forward, gently laying Miroku on his back. "You are still badly hurt."

Miroku surged up pressing his lips against Sesshoumaru's before he fell back again with another hiss of pain. "Don't stop," he managed. Sesshoumaru pulled away and Miroku reached for him. "Please-"

"Miroku." The monk fell silent and Sesshoumaru's armor was loud as it hit the floor. Second's later, Sesshoumaru's kimono fluttered to the ground and his single hand was deftly untying the knot of purple and black on the boy beneath him. Once the clothes were out of the way, he leaned back down, pressing his body to the boy beneath him, trying to feel all of him at once. He licked at one ear, making Miroku shudder. "Miroku, what do you want?"

Miroku was breathing heavily, twisting slightly into the weight above him. "I-what – what do you mean? I've never . . ."

Sesshoumaru ran his claws over the monk's uninjured ribs, silencing him as he gasped at the sensation. "I will carry," he whispered, repeating the caress.

Miroku wrapped his arms around the demon, ignoring the stabs of pain. He ran deft fingers up and down the smooth skin, making the demon shiver himself. Sesshoumaru growled and sat up, pulling away from the hands. Undeterred, Miroku began caressing his pale chest. Sesshoumaru reached behind him, moving too fast for the human to follow. Miroku gasped as the demon's silk sash was suddenly wound tightly around his wrists. He groaned as the demon attached the other end to the table, effectively trapping the monk. Miroku's breathing shortened even more, mind rebelliously reminding him just whom he was doing this with. His body, on the other hand, was reacting strongly to the loss of control.

Sesshoumaru rocked his hips and Miroku groaned loudly, his back arching at the sensation. Several more thrusts and Miroku was gasping for breath, head thrown back and pleading for more. Sesshoumaru shifted his weight, carefully positioning himself before settling down onto the monk. Miroku cried out, tugging at the sash. Sesshoumaru growled, eyes shut in pleasure as he seated himself fully and froze. Miroku looked up angrily, staring at the demon.

Sesshoumaru was lost in the sensations. His lips were parted, tongue flicking out to trace along them. Slowly his hand traced along his own chest, pausing to tease each nipple in turn. Miroku stared, transfixed, as the hand inched lower, playing over lean muscles along its path. The demon moaned deep in his throat as he began to please himself, his own light touch teasing. He kept his hips utterly still.

A whimper escaped Miroku's lips and he tugged at the sash around his wrists, now cursing the sensual material. "Sesshoumaru," he gasped, staring at the god above him. The demon responded by gripping himself more firmly, hissing slightly. Miroku panted, wiggling his hips to try and get more sensation. "Gods – ah – Sesshoumaru, _move_."

Sesshoumaru growled ferally, consenting to the demand by pumping his hand faster. Miroku whined, straining once again at the sash. Sesshoumaru groaned, ignoring the monk's pleas. He trailed his hand up his chest, licking at the pads of his fingers. Miroku groaned again at the sight. "At least – ah – at least let me touch you." The demon smiled and reached down, claws brushing over Miroku's nipples. Miroku gasped, his back arching. Half formed curses spilled from his lips and Sesshoumaru finally took pity on the human. He leaned forward, brushing their chests together, and nibbled again at the monk's exposed neck.

Miroku didn't last long, climaxing after only a few thrusts. Sesshoumaru was not far behind, sinking his fangs into tender flesh and tearing out the scream Miroku was struggling to keep quiet. Miroku whined softly as he pulled again at the sash. "Sesshoumaru . . . let me go. Please." The demon nodded, soft bangs tickling Miroku's neck. He reached up, slicing through the sash with his claws and not caring in the slightest. Miroku sighed, dropping his hands into Sesshoumaru's hair and stroking the locks. Sesshoumaru smelled like sakura and jasmine. Miroku buried his nose in the scent, nuzzling at the demon's head.

Sesshoumaru thrust his tongue out, licking the reddening bite mark. He pulled away, careful not to jostle the boy beneath him. Miroku's hands tightened, not wanting to release their hold, but Sesshoumaru reached up, brushing them away. He sat up, gently running his hand over the bandages, checking that nothing had been aggravated. Satisfied, he bent back towards Miroku, gently pressing their lips together. When he pulled away again, Miroku smiled slightly. "I thought you didn't care for human mating rituals."

Sesshoumaru smiled slightly as he stood up. "I'm beginning to like some of them." He bent, retrieving his kimono before he paused again. "What are you going to do now?"

Miroku sat up, groaning at his injuries. "What do you mean?"

Sesshoumaru had his back to the monk as he dressed. "Inu Yasha _is_ approaching the village. If you are not there when he arrives, he will trace your scent here. What are you going to do?"

Miroku frowned, pulling his robes on. "I don't have a choice, do I?" Sesshoumaru paused, but didn't say anything. Miroku looked at him in shock, interpreting the silence for what it was. "You would let me stay here?"

Sesshoumaru was silent a moment longer before he continued to dress. "Yes."

Miroku lowered his eyes, "No, I can't stay here." He tied his robes and reached for his staff to stand. Miroku froze as Sesshoumaru's hand curled around his own.

The demon's voice whispered right beside his ear when he spoke. "I've never asked anyone to stay with me before. Why do you have to leave?"

Miroku shivered and turned his head away. "My curse. I – I can't stop trying to defeat it."

Suddenly Miroku was being lifted and Sesshoumaru took his staff as well. "I understand." Then they were flying through the air. Sesshoumaru raced out the door and into the forest, holding Miroku to his side like a lifeline. When they finally stopped in the woods, it was a moment before the demon released him. "Your companions will be here shortly. What do you want?"

Miroku frowned. "You would stay here and wait with me if I asked you to." The dog demon lowered his head a fraction. Miroku frowned, knowing what would happen if Inu Yasha were to arrive and see them together. "No," he whispered, "I can't ask that of you. I'll wait for them here."

Sesshoumaru nodded, pressing the monk's staff into his hand. Gently, his hand tangled in his short black hair and he leaned forward in a gentle kiss. Then the demon was gone and Miroku stumbled to catch his footing. The monk sighed, looking into the forest after the silver demon.

A crash behind him made Miroku turn. Inu Yasha broke through the tree line, running past and entering the forest again behind the monk. "What the-" The hanyou's head poked back through the trees. "Miroku?"

"Miroku!" Sango's voice cried and the demon slayer practically tackled the monk in a hug. Miroku cried out in pain and Sango pulled back, overflowing with apologies.

Suddenly Inu Yasha was inches away from the boy's face. "Why do you smell like Sesshoumaru?"

Miroku faltered, but was saved by a familiar, "Sit, boy." Inu Yasha grumbled something unkind from the ground that was thankfully muffled by the dirt as Kagome strode over. "Leave him alone, Inu Yasha, god knows what poor Miroku's been through."

Miroku frowned. "No, it's fine. Can we just get to town, please?"

Inu Yasha pulled himself off the ground. "What happened to you, anyway? There was this huge battle and-"

"Sit boy! Can't you see he doesn't want to talk about it? Why can't you just keep your big mouth shut for once?"

Sango was leading Miroku away into the forest, letting him lean on her for support. "Are you sure you're all right?" Miroku nodded, letting his hand drift down to help himself to a nice handful. "Ah! Hentai!" Miroku sighed, resigning himself to limp into town unaided and rubbing the handprint on his cheek.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	5. The Heir

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Hello! Do you all still remember me? I realised just the other day that I had meant to get back to this story much faster than I did. The trouble is I still haven't finished the 'sequel' so I shouldn't really be posting this at all. I'm chasing an idea though. Instead of a sequel, I'm thinking just continuing the story may be better. So, this is the next chapter, please tell me what you all think. It may still be a week or two before I post again, but at least you know what I'm up to right now. (Im actually rather engrossed in a Naruto fic, but that's beside the point).

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku leaned against the young demon slayer, a goofy grin on his face. He cherished every moment of the warm body pressed against him, knowing that as soon as she figured out he was awake, she would hit him. Hard and repeatedly. So Miroku just lay there, letting out a happy little sigh as a supposedly asleep hand drifted around to Sango's thigh.

"Miroku?" Sango asked, a distinct tension in her voice.

"Asleep," he muttered, already knowing the jig was up.

It really didn't hurt _that_ much when she clobbered him. Miroku smiled wistfully and sat up properly, leaning away from the woman. The two of them were on top of Kilala, following Inu Yasha and Kagome through the rolling hills. The dog demon had demanded on a particularly early departure, hence Miroku's little ruse. He'd gotten the idea when Sango had nodded off herself.

"Are you two done?" Kagome asked as Inu Yasha came to a stop. Kilala came to a halt as well and Miroku slid down to the ground.

Inu Yasha was frozen, nose poised into the air. Miroku was about to ask what had caught the hanyou's attention when the dog suddenly glared out across the fields. "Sesshoumaru." The growl was barely audible, but at once Inu Yasha was off.

Miroku didn't hesitate as he, too, took off at a run, leaving the girls behind. It had been months since Miroku had left the demon. It had been an effort to keep those two days to himself, but the others had finally stopped asking about it. He hadn't seen the youkai lord since – save in his troubled dreams, of course.

Suddenly he was there, no more than a dozen yards away, slowly tracing the path of a reasonably large stream. Inu Yasha called out to him, initiating a challenge without pause. Miroku barely heard him. Sesshoumaru stood tall and ethereal, his head turned just enough to take in the two men cresting the nearby ridge. Behind him, Rin's eyes grew wide and she clutched her hands together excitedly. A minute gesture from her keeper kept the girl quiet and where she was, but even that didn't stop her from kneeling beside a small boy.

Miroku's breath caught even as he tried to hide it. The boy was young, if he'd been human, he might have been five years old. His hair was slightly long, hanging in a silver wave just below his shoulders. His features were lean, despite the baby fat, and Miroku knew he would be quite thin when he grew older. Rin had her face pressed up to the little boy's pointed ear, whispering frantically to him and pointing at the men in the distance.

Sesshoumaru was speaking, his own cold reply to Inu Yasha's challenge. Miroku had to force himself to focus so he could hear the words. "-didn't come here for a fight." He paused, eyes deliberately catching Miroku's, then he spoke over his shoulder to his companions. "Jaken, Rin, take Ihou on ahead. I'll follow right behind."

'Ihou', Miroku mouthed in wonder. His mind shut down again and he didn't hear the short, heated argument between the two brothers as anything more than background noise. Then Sesshoumaru caught his eyes again; there was a certain intensity in those golden orbs, though none of the emotion showed through to his face. Then the demon was gone.

Kagome and Sango had arrived while Miroku was spaced out and a swift 'Sit' kept Inu Yasha from chasing after the youkai. With only slight grumbling, Inu Yasha resumed his journey along the countryside with his companions.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku let his feet work on automatic. He was lost in his thoughts and his memories, had been for the better part of a month now. Kagome and Sango – even Shippo – were well aware something was up with the young monk, but for the most part they left him alone. Ever since seeing Ihou, Miroku had been unusually quiet. He'd been unresponsive, eating little and sleeping even less. Even in the few battles they'd stumbled across, Miroku did the bare minimum to keep himself and his friends safe. Perhaps what had actually alerted the girls to anything, however, was that in nearly a full month, he hadn't groped either of them. He had barely flirted with any women at all.

The fact that they continuously speculated about the strange child they'd seen with Sesshoumaru didn't help. Kagome thought it was a wonderful sign that the demon had taken a second ward, proof that he was a good man despite his other actions. Sango was much less optimistic, but she was also fascinated by the strange boy. Shippo, happy to be able to contribute, provided his guesses as to the boy's age. Being a full demon himself, he knew the boy was extremely young, less than a year old despite his physical appearance. According to him, a demon like that would grow until he looked like a young man in little more than a couple of years. Miroku bit his tongue every time this new information led the girls to speculate about when the boy had been born.

A similar discussion was well under way as the group approached the village. Miroku was walking slightly behind the group, listening to them carefully without seeming at all involved. When Kagome broke off mid-sentence, Miroku looked up in alarm. He half-expected them to be staring at him suspiciously, but that wasn't what had made her stop. Up ahead there was smoke curling into the air. A lot of smoke. Miroku broke into a run with the others, sprinting to the town.

Miroku wasn't sure if anyone else saw it. Soaring away through the smoke he could see Ah Un and it made him stop. Jaken was holding Rin tightly as they disappeared into the distance, keeping her on the creature. She was screaming something that Miroku couldn't make out, reaching back towards one of the houses . . .

Miroku was moving again without conscious thought. If asked later, he couldn't say what instinct pushed him into action, but he wasn't about to question it. The fire seemed to have started at one of the central buildings and Miroku ran straight towards it. He darted through the doorway, firmly ignoring the tongues of flame that lapped at his robes. The monk brought up one arm to protect his face; his eyes darted around the humble shack, searching for something. Flames blocked the door into the only other room, but Miroku ignored those, too.

"Ahh!" he cried out, dropping his staff. The metal had heated to the point that it had burned him. For a few seconds, Miroku stared at his hand and the red line that transected it. He cursed, trying to focus on what he was doing. A loud popping noise caught his attention and Miroku was barely able to dodge before part of the wall collapsed where he had been a moment ago. A piece of wreckage caught his ankles, sending him to the ground on hands and knees. Miroku pulled a breath through clenched teeth when the landing jostled the new burn as well as several others making themselves known.

He almost missed it. A piece of thankfully-not-actively-burning debris had completely hidden the boy. The tiny hand was barely visible but as soon as Miroku saw it, he was moving. The debris shifted easily as Miroku shoved it away, revealing the boy beneath. He was just as Miroku remembered, pale skin smudged with soot, silver hair messy and singed. He wasn't breathing.

There was another ominous creaking and Miroku let that strange instinct take over again. The tiny body was gathered into his arms, clutched against his chest as the ceiling gave way. Then suddenly Miroku was flying, the remains of the building disappearing beneath him. He was only dimly aware of Inu Yasha's arms wrapped around his chest, but the hanyou's words were loud in his ears. "What the hell are you trying to do? You wanna die or something?"

They hit the ground hard and Miroku stumbled. Kagome was there, reaching for his shoulders to steady him. Miroku didn't let her speak. "You have to help him!"

Kagome's eyes widened and she sputtered slightly, confused. Miroku straightened and her breath caught as she saw the small body he held. She reached for the boy, laying him on the ground and leaning over him with concern.

Sango appeared, attracted by the commotion. "Oh my," she whispered, "That's the boy-" She caught sight of the monk and her breath caught all over again. "Miroku!"

Miroku was covered in soot, small burns and singes covering his body and robes. Inu Yasha still had his arms around the monk's shoulders and it was a safe bet that was the only thing keeping him upright. "Please," he whispered, completely ignoring the others around him. "Please help him."

Kagome bent over the boy, lips pressed to his almost in a kiss. She pulled back and placed her hands against his chest. Miroku surged forward as she compressed the boy's ribs. "What are you doing?!" Inu Yasha tightened his hold, keeing the monk firmly in place.

After another moment, Kagome leaned close to the boy again, turning so her cheek was just above his mouth. She let out a releived sigh and a barely whispered "Yatta." She looked up at Miroku and her smile said more than her words, "He's breathing. He'll be all right."

Miroku sagged, relief washing over his over-stressed mind. "Thank god. Thank you." He slumped more, falling into blackness as his new injuries caught up with him and his mind finally shut down.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	6. Meetings

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Glad to get back with you all again! Sorry, that Naruto fic I mentioned really sucked me in. It also causes a problem, because the writing styles of the two stories are strinkingly different. However, that is done done and now I can focus on getting this finished. Then I can go work on the Slayers sequel that I promised _those_ fans. Wow, I have fans . . . then I can start thinking about something new and more fun. Or, more likely, going and rewriting several things I've been meaning to fix.

**A / N: **hellos to all of you out there, thanks for sticking with me. I really love hearing your thoughts. A special request for Forthright – can you advise some other good alternate pairing writers? I'm always craving something good and unusual, especially Miro/Sess, but those are so freaking rare TT Anyway, as always a thanks to Raeshi, he went and read my Naruto fic, too. But now I'm back, on with the show!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Inu Yasha sat folded up in a corner. His legs were crossed as well as his arms and he was glaring at the monk before him. Sango and Kagome were closer, treating his injuries and those of the small boy he had saved. They all recognised him. The child had awoken not long ago and had gone to Miroku's side with a strange look on his face. He'd knelt by the monk's head, wrapping small arms around his neck, and refused to be moved even for treatment.

Miroku's eyes opened slowly and he let out a soft groan. He looked at the faces above him and then slowly turned his head to look into wide yellow-green eyes. The child lay on his side, facing Miroku at eye level. Miroku couldn't tear his eyes away and it took Sango calling his name several times before he responded. "I'm all right," He whispered, finally looking at his caretakers again. With a bit of difficulty, he sat up and looked around the room. His eyes landed on Inu Yasha and he bowed his head slightly. "Thank you."

The hanyou grunted in response. Sango was smiling at the monk when he turned back around. "The village leader wanted to thank you as soon as you were awake, Shippo went to get him."

She had just finished speaking when an elderly man came into the room, led by the tiny fox. "Ah, I'm so glad to see you are all right." He said happily and took a seat near the monk. "I've already thanked your friends, it was so brave of you to save that boy."

Miroku nodded at the man. "I only wish I could have been of more help. Let me know if I can repair any damage." This caused the man to smile even wider and Inu Yasha to groan slightly from the corner. Miroku ignored the half demon. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Certainly! We think the attacker was actually targeting this young lad." He motioned towards Ihou and the child latched on to Miroku's robes, holding him tightly. "He and a young girl were in the village, wandering around the market mostly. Then this demon appeared; he seemed to attack the two little strangers directly. I didn't see where any of them went, but I'm so glad this one, at least, is safe. Imagine, _demons_!"

In the corner, Inu Yasha growled again and the man soon decided to take his leave. Miroku thought about what he had said, looking over Ihou as he did so. The boy had many small bandages covering his face and arms – probably more beneath the red and gold kimono he wore. With his hair hanging completely unbound around his head, it was easy to mistake the boy for a human. It seemed that most of the village had assumed that he was.

The boy was still looking up at Miroku. The monk smiled reassuringly and stood, catching one small hand in his own. "Are you feeling all right? Why don't we go see if we can help out the villagers, all right?" The boy nodded minutely.

Sango smiled, walking with them out the door. They meandered down the streets for some time, weaving between the various people doing repairs and tending the injured. Two men were struggling nearby to put up several boards. Everytime one would raise the hammer, the board would slip down. They looked up, catching sight of the monk and demon slayer. "Hey, you're the travellers that helped put out the fire! Could you please give us a hand?"

Sango looked at Miroku and the monk smiled. "Go, we'll head towards the center of town and meet you there." The woman nodded and went to help the men as Miroku and Ihou wandered away.

Gradually, Ihou pulled Miroku to the side of the road, ducking into a small opening between two of the burned buildings. "Can I talk to you, please?" He asked in the most formal speech imaginable.

Miroku looked up and down the road, checking that there were no people passing close enough to intrude on their conversation. He knelt down so he was closer to the boy's eye level. "What do you want to talk about?"

The boy looked at him for a moment. He finally took a step back, staring fixedly at the ground. "Do you know who I am?"

Miroku smiled, reaching out for the boy. He pulled the tiny frame closer to him, looking evenly into the almost golden eyes. "I do. Do you know who I am?"

Ihou looked across the monk's face and then down one arm. His eyes stopped on the prayer beads and he gently rested his own hands on them. "Otou-san always tells me about you. He says you are brave and strong and clever. He says that people like you are the only thing that redeems humans." Miroku felt a blush creep across his face. The boy continued, fingers tracing the strand of beads. "He said that an evil demon hurt your hand a long long time ago. Does it still hurt?" Curious eyes finally looked back up into the monk's face.

Miroku smiled again. The boy brought out everything good in him. For the first time in a long time he felt nothing but pure joy looking at the innocent child before him. And the straightforward question made him realise something else. "No," he whispered in slight amazement. "My hand hasn't hurt in a while. Sess-ah. Your otou-san made it better for me. He and Rin healed me a little."

For the first time, Ihou smiled, but it faded quickly. "Otou-san always tells me to hide who I am. He says there are bad people, humans and demons that would hurt me if they knew who I am. Sesshoumaru-sama cannot have any ties that can be used against him." Miroku frowned slightly as he heard the words. They were true, of course, and suddenly the child's formal, stilted speech made a lot more sense. Probably the moment he could speak he was being trained for the life he would have to live. There was something sad about that and about the way he looked into Miroku's eyes again. "What can I call you?"

Miroku looked at the boy in shock. Slowly his smile returned. "My name is Miroku, if you just want to call me that."

There was a definate unsureness on the boy's face as he looked up. "Can I call you ji-san?"

Miroku's smile threatened to burst from his face. He pulled Ihou closer, wrapping his arms tightly around his little shoulders. "Of course you can." The two of them stayed still for a while, reveling in each other's warmth. Miroku was surprised when he felt the small boy shake slightly. He pulled back in shock to look into his moist eyes. "What's wrong?"

Ihou sniffed repeatedly, clearly trying to stop the few tears that managed to streak down his cheeks. He smiled bravely, but it wasn't very convincing. Miroku stroked the boy's hair and repeated his question. Ihou practically dove into the monk, burying his face again in his robes. "I've wanted to meet you forever. But all I want now is to go back home," he sobbed.

Miroku's smile was bittersweet as he tightened his hold. "I'll get you home. I swear it."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Inu Yasha was less than thrilled when Miroku revealed his promise to the rest of the group that evening. Miroku was no fool and kept Sesshoumaru's name out of it, but the hanyou was still opposed to the idea. "We don't have time to go chasing after some lost kid's family. Just leave him here and they'll find him soon."

Miroku frowned at him. "He doesn't live here. He's too young to travel alone. Kagome, you wouldn't just leave him alone, would you?" Miroku turned on the young priestess, knowing her answer would overturn Inu Yasha's.

"He has a point there." The girl frowned. "But isn't this the boy we saw with Sesshoumaru? Are you suggesting that we bring him back to him?"

Miroku twitched. Well, he had tried to keep Sesshoumaru's name out of this. Beside him, Ihou's breath was starting to hitch, much as it had earlier that day. Miroku knelt, gathering the boy into his arms again. "I'm not suggesting we turn him over to Sesshoumaru," he said quickly, thinking on his feet. "I want to take Ihou to his father. I promised I would help him get home."

Kagome stopped, thinking that over. Near her feet, Shippo had a hand to his chin in thought. He opened his mouth to say something, but a well placed pat on the head kept the child quiet. Sango finally smiled at Miroku. "I think this is the right thing. I don't want to abandon this boy. Who knows how long he's been away from home."

Miroku stood, one hand still gripping Ihou's fingers. "Than you'll help me get him home?" Inu Yasha rolled his eyes, but nodded. Miroku smiled wider. "Thank you."

Ihou's eyes were wide as he looked around. There was no smile on his face and he glanced out the window nervously.

Four hours later found the small party on the edge of a light woods, ready to make camp for the night. The village had been gracious as they left, but couldn't spare many supplies. Inu Yasha looked around eagerly, anxious to do a little hunting. Miroku smiled, looking forward to it as well. They didn't _need_ to hunt, of course, Kagome had plenty of food for the journey. But both men felt the need to work off some energy and maybe be a bit violent.

As the two stepped into the trees, Ihou looked after them with a smile. After a moment, he looked up towards the rising moon. "It's full tonight," he whispered.

Sango came to sit by the boy. "You're probably too young to recognize how romantic it is. But isn't it pretty?"

The child looked at her strangely. "I've never really liked the full moon."

Sango smiled as she watched the moon. "A lot of demons don't like it. The full moon makes the night much brighter. For predators it means their prey is more cautious or hiden better. And of course prey hates the extra light at nightime." She looked at the boy and smiled. "You look human, but you're a half-demon, right?"

Ihou suddenly glared at the woman. "I don't look that human!" He lifted his hand, pulling back his hair to reveal barely pointed ears. "And see!" This time he hooked a finger under his top lip, hitching it up to reveal one tiny pointed fang. He looked away, his cheeks pinkening slightly. "They'll get bigger when I get older. My claws should, too."

Sango smiled, gently ruffling the boy's hair. "I didn't mean it as an insult. You'll find out that being able to pass for a human can be an advantage in this world." Ihou shrugged noncomitally and glared again at the moon.

Further into the woods, Inu Yasha was crouched over a fallen deer, smiling widely at the monk nearby. Miroku rolled his eyes, gathering up his own prize of two large game birds. Suddenly Inu Yasha perked his nose into the air. Miroku wrinkled his forhead. "Another deer?" Inu Yasha didn't reply, running into the woods.

Inu Yasha set out at a run, finally coming to a small clearing. Standing in the first rays of moonlight, Sesshoumaru had his back to the half demon. When Inu Yasha called out his typical challenge, Sesshoumaru just hung his head slightly. "I will not fight you today."

Inu Yasha growled, drawing his sword eagerly. "What are you doing here, Sesshoumaru!"

The demon turned slowly. "What I do with my time is none of your concern. Leave me be, mutt, I'm in mourning."

"Yeah, sure." The boy growled again and charged the other. Sesshoumaru didn't move, didn't even attempt to defend himself. His eyes slipped closed a moment before the blade connected, a look of acceptance coming over him. Inu Yasha faltered, trying to stop the attack far too late. Tetsaiga sank into the demon lord's shoulder. He didn't follow through with the strike and it wasn't very severe, but blood quickly began to soak the side of his kimono.

"Inu Yasha! What are you thinking!" Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open, instantly focusing on the monk that bust into the clearing. He pulled away, sliding from the blade and in moments had disappeared into the trees. "Wait!" Miroku cried, too late. He turned angrily to the half demon. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I didn't think he'd just stand there! I honestly thought he'd move or dodge or something. I guess he really was in mourning." Inu Yasha sounded unconcerned.

Miroku's anger grew visibly. "He told you he was in mourning and your still attacked him?! Is there _anything_ in that head of yours?"

The young dog looked annoyed now. "How was I supposed to know he was serious? I thought he was using it as some excuse to track us down."

"He's your own brother and you don't know one damn thing about him!" Miroku turned away, one hand flying to his head. He had to calm down before he said something _else_ he would regret. Already Inu Yasha was taking what he'd said and running away with it.

"Oh, excuse me, I forgot about all the fun time we spent growing up together. I suppose _you_ know him better?"

Miroku spun on him again, anger getting the better of his brain. "Yes, I do!" He stormed past the now silent boy and back to camp. Ihou sprang to his feet when the monk came within view, an elated 'ji-san' tripping from his lips. Miroku went to the boy, scooping him up in his arms, and continued until he was several yards away from the others. Ihou looked frightened, but Miroku couldn't manage a smile to reassure him. He sat down on the grass with the boy. "Ihou, there's something you need to know."

"What's wrong, ji-san? Did something happen?" He asked nervously.

Miroku's breath caught slightly. "I saw Sesshoumaru." The boy grabbed his robes, looking up with big eyes. Mirou refused to look at him. "Ihou, he thinks you're dead."

"No-" The tears seemed to materialize on his cheeks. "Otou-tou-"

"It's all right, Ihou. I'll get you to him. First thing in the morning-"

"Can't we go now? Sesshoumaru-sama's palace isn't much further. Maybe we could make it before the sun rises?"

Miroku frowned. "Why are you scared?"

"You little whelp!" Miroku turned to Inu Yasha's angry voice. He was pointing at Ihou, scowl firm on his face. "You're taking us to him, aren't you?!"

Ihou yelped, ducking behind Miroku as he rose. "What are you talking about?"

"Sesshoumaru! This little brat is tricking us and leading us straight to him! He lied to us!" The half demon reached around his friend, grabbing the small boy's wrist tightly. "I knew you were a half-demon, but Sesshoumaru? He sent you to us, didn't he? You're just bait to lead us into some trap!"

Miroku's eyes narrowed to mere slits. He moved without thinking about it, one hand slipping into his robes. Inu Yasha hissed as the sutra clung to his wrist, burning slightly. Miroku pushed the stunned demon away, planting himself more firmly between the two. "You have no idea what you're saying! If this were all some elaborate plan, why wouldn't he attack you back there?"

The demon stepped forward, challenging. Miroku met his glare, bringing his staff forward with a motion that was clearly a threat. "If you touch him again, I swear you will regret it."

"Inu Yasha," Kagome's voice cut through the air. "S-"

"No, Kagome. Leave him alone." Miroku didn't shift his gaze, daring the boy before him to do something.

Kagome held her tongue, instead wrapping her arms around the dog's shoulders. Sango held Miroku similarly, trying to lead him back towards the fire. "Come on, Miroku. It's late, we need to get some sleep." Neither boy relented their glare as the girls led them away. Miroku had one hand curled around Ihou's back, holding him even closer.

Miroku didn't eat that night, settling into his futon early. Ihou hadn't released him the entire time. He looked up at the monk, eyes pleading. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Miroku nodded, pulling the boy towards his chest and shifted the blanket over both of them. "Try and get some sleep, Ihou. I'll get you home soon. By myself if I have to." The last was muttered in anger, a bitter glare sent towards Inu Yasha across the fire.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	7. Discovery

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Wow, so few readers for Fushigi Yuugi on ffnet! I know, you're all here for Miroku, so you don't care, but I'm really shocked at how few hits my FY fic has gotten! Ah, well, in any case. Hello again Raeshi, I'm glad you like Ihou – the rest of you too! And thanks for that stuff, forthright. I'm so glad to see all of you, but I wish some more of you otherses would review. Sigh. It's okay, I'm just glad you're all reading and enjoying. By the way – trivia note! Ihou's name? It's a combination of Inu (dog as you all know) and Houshi (monk). I thought it was cute! So, yes, on with the show!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sango stared at the boy beneath her, frown firmly etched on her face. "Why wouldn't he tell us?"

Kagome just shook her head. "He probably didn't want to think about it. Way to go, Inu Yasha."

"What did I do? How was I supposed to know?"

Sango just glared at him. "They look so alike, how could we not have noticed?"

"Quiet, he's waking up."

Miroku's eyes fluttered open, gazing up at the three worried faces that were gazing back down at him. "Uh, morning?" He asked, suddenly nervous.

Sango suddenly wrapped her arms around the monk's neck. "You should have said something! We could have helped you!"

Inu Yasha looked away slightly. "I'm sorry about last night, okay? I guess I didn't understand what you were saying."

Miroku's eyes widened; if Inu Yasha was apologizing, something was seriously wrong. "What are you talking about?" He managed to choke out.

Kagome pointed to the monk's chest in silence. Confused, Miroku looked down at himself, one hand brushing against something soft. The monk's eyes widened and his breath caught. Gently he ran his fingers through the head of soft _black_ hair. He gulped loudly when the small bundle on his chest wriggled slightly. "Mmm, five more minutes, tou-tou."

Miroku looked back up at his friend's faces. "I can explain . . ." Though he honestly wasn't sure how.

Sango's arms tightened, pulling a squeak from the monk. "You don't have to say a word if you don't want to."

Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder, her face smiling, but sad. "I'm so sorry we pushed you about that day. But it's not your fault!"

Miroku frowned, suddenly seeing this through their eyes. "Hold on, you've got the wrong idea."

Inu Yasha looked away with a snort. "Just take the sympathy, there's nothing you could have done. I can hardly hold him off-"

"I _said_ you've got the wrong idea!" Miroku sat up, pulling away from the arms encircling him. Ihou slipped down from his chest, looking up groggily. "Sesshoumaru didn't rape me. Hell, I initiated it!" Miroku stopped breathing, registering the words that came out of his mouth.

"Miro-ji-san?"

Miroku tore his eyes away from the faces staring at him. Sango looked so . . . betrayed. Ihou was looking at them with a bit of fear and Miroku wrapped his arms around him protectively. "It's all right, Ihou, it's all right." He looked up hesitantly, bracing himself for the looks he was about to receive. "Let me expla-"

Sango was suddenly on her feet, walking away from the group. "Come on Kilala, we're leaving."

"Sango, wait-" The demon slayer didn't look back. Miroku closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and attempting to calm his frantic pulse. "Please just let me explain."

Inu Yasha was making small gagging sounds from beside him. Kagome had pulled back from him and had one hand raised as if he were covered in slime. It was the miko that spoke first. "You – you _initiated_? With Sesshoumaru?!"

Miroku looked over at her. "Kagome, please-"

"He's a guy!!"

"Who cares if he's a guy?" Inu Yasha snapped. "He's Sesshoumaru!"

Miroku curled more tightly around the boy in his arms, desperately trying to control his breathing. This was, more or less, exactly what he'd been afraid of. "You don't understand," he muttered into the boy's hair. "_Please_ just let me-"

"He's Sesshoumaru! At least if he had forced you, you would have had an excuse. How can you-"

Miroku was on his feet without noticing he'd stood, Ihou still clutched against his chest. "You don't know anything about it! You don't know anything about _him_! You make him out to be such a monster, but . . ." Miroku's mind caught up with him slowly as he registered Ihou tugging at his sleeve. The boy was shaking, small whimpers of fear escaping his throat.

The look on Inu Yasha's face spoke of hatred and long suffering as he glared at the monk. Kagome was still looking at him like he was something dirty. Even Shippo was staring at him as if he'd done something wrong. Miroku's breathing was ragged, but he managed to school his features back into a blank mask. He stepped away from the others, quickly retrieving his staff. "I'm taking Ihou home." He began to walk past but hesitated. "I'm sorry."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku carried his son for more than an hour before he finally stopped. The two sat beneath a willow in silence, the morning's events still fresh in their minds. Miroku let out a bitter laugh and looked at the tiny boy. "This is why you didn't want to stop last night?"

Ihou nodded, staring at the ground in front of him. "I'm not supposed to let anyone know when I change. I hate the full moon." Miroku sighed, wrapping one arm around his shoulders. "Ji-san? Why were they so mad back there? I thought he was really going to hurt you!"

Miroku sighed. He'd been thinking about the event, too, knowing he'd have to explain it at some point. Over an hour later he had almost nothing worth while to say. "Ihou, this is something you'll have to face a lot as you grow up. There are a lot of people in this world that are not going to like you because of who your parents are."

Ihou's forehead wrinkled. "But, I'm already supposed to hide that. Sesshoumaru-sama can't have anyone know he has kids."

Miroku smiled sadly. "I know that. But sooner or later, people _will_ find out. It doesn't matter how careful you are. Besides, they don't need to know who he is to know that you're a half-demon. A lot of people in this world think it's wrong for a human and a demon to have a child together."

Ihou hung his head slightly, understanding crossing his face. Miroku took a deep breath before he continued. "I never had to face that and I know it will be hard for you. But you'll have to face another challenge because both of your parents are male." Miroku looked away into the forest, another bitter laugh escaping him. "A lot of people also have a problem when two men love each other. I guess my friends are some of those people."

Ihou looked at him, tears lining his eyes. "Are you one of those people, Miroku-san?" The title more than anything else made Miroku look down at him, shocked. "Someone who doesn't like half demons? Someone who doesn't like men?"

Miroku moved so that he was in front of the little boy. "No, Ihou, never. Let me show you something." He held out his left hand and pointed at his palm. From the base of his thumb up into his fingers was a thick scar. "I got this when I saved Sesshoumaru." He traced a second, more recent burn that crossed the first, running from one side of his palm to the other. "I got this only the other day when I saved you."

Ihou traced his fingers across the two burns. "You got these for me and otou-san?"

Miroku held out his other hand, indicating the hole beneath the cloth. "My hands remind me of who I am. This one reminds me of my curse and the things I hate." He dropped his right hand, looking closely at his left. "And this one reminds me of what I love. Of _who_ I love." Ihou looked up at him and smiled. Suddenly the boy launched into Miroku's arms, hugging him as tightly as he could. Miroku returned the embrace happily, but something else was nagging to attract his attention.

He'd first seen it when he looked into the forest before – a mist was beginning to creep between the trees. There shouldn't be such weather this late in the morning, and it gave him a bad feeling, grating against his spiritual senses. "Ihou, I need you to do something for me, all right?" The boy didn't move, but nodded into Miroku's chest. The monk stood and walked quickly to another tree with large roots that poked out of the earth. "I need you to hide, all right?"

The boy looked around, nervously trying to find any threat that the trees held. He'd clearly been receiving training in this as well as how to act around people. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he ducked under one tree root. Then, surprising the monk, he darted away to another tree and shrunk beneath its roots and the shrubbery surrounding them. Miroku smiled and didn't move. It was actually better this way, it would throw off whatever youkai was approaching them.

The mist was thick and cold now and Miroku shivered violently. He turned around, tracing the surrounding trees with his eyes and his other senses. Slowly he walked away from the tree, his staff crossing his body cautiously. Suddenly he gasped, stiffening as the very mist seemed to tighten around him. His staff went out in a quick circle, making certain the area around him was clear. A low laugh echoed around him and Miroku frowned. "Who are you?"

Again the mist tightened around him, feeling like a strong, delicate hand. Miroku's jaw clenched. It was illusion, just an illusion. He focused on that phrase as a mantra, fighting to stay alert for the real threat. The same low laugh echoed around as if the very mist were laughing at him and this time the demon spoke as well. "Where did that little boy go?"

Miroku didn't answer, trying to find the hidden creature. Suddenly the mist became substantially more solid and Miroku was forced against a tree. He gasped, realizing it was the tree Ihou had hidden beneath. He silently cursed – whoever this was had used the fog as a cover to trap him. Thin but strong ropes held him tightly in place, one biting into his throat.

The demon stepped forward, materializing out of the mist. His hair was blue, loose and practically floating around his face and shoulders. His skin was tan and his blue-green eyes slowly shifted color as he approached. He smiled at Miroku predatorily. "Where is he?" Miroku didn't say anything, glaring back into those swirling eyes. The demon's smile faded and he raised his voice slightly. "Do you know who I am, boy? I'm Kirin, the person who is going to dethrone your beloved Sesshoumaru. The person who will kill this human if you don't show yourself."

"Stay where you are, Ihou!" Miroku focused his eyes into the trees, deliberately misleading the demon in front of him. "Your scent has changed, he can't track you."

Kirin leaned forward, one hand on either side of Miroku's head. "Did I hear you correctly?" His fingers closed around the rope, tightening it over his windpipe. "You _dare_ defy a demon lord?"

Miroku gathered his courage, spitting into the other man's face. He pulled away and Miroku gratefully drew a deep breath. He didn't let his gaze falter. "You think you can defeat The Lord of the Western Lands? You're no match for Sesshoumaru."

Miroku flinched as the man struck him across the jaw. "I _will_ defeat him. I will _destroy_ him. If he refuses to give me what I want, then I will take it by force. From his son, if need be." Miroku kept his silence and Kirin looked at him closely for one tense minute. "You . . . why is that child with you in the first place?"

"You burned that village, didn't you? Just to try and get at that boy." Miroku bit out the words, hoping to change the demon's line of thought.

It didn't work as the water demon's eyes widened in understanding. "His mate? The great Sesshoumaru took a _human_ for his mate? This is too perfect." His face split into a grin ever so slowly. "I will bring him to his knees by destroying everything he holds dear."

"Ihou, stay-"

Kirin was there again, tightening the rope and cutting off his air. "Will you keep hiding, boy? Will you really let this boy die for you?" He leaned in harder, growling slightly. "That's why I can't smell him, isn't it? He's human right now."

Miroku was getting desperate, the world in front of him beginning to blur. He struggled to twist his hand out from the confining ropes, to free the kazaana if nothing else. It seemed impossible. Suddenly, Kirin jerked back, releasing his hold. For one panicked moment, Miroku thought Ihou had attacked the larger demon. Before he'd even drawn breath, the ropes disappeared and Miroku dropped to his knees in the soft earth. He looked up dumbly, quickly recognizing the Tetsaiga and its wielder.

Kagome had her bow notched and drawn, but she knelt beside Miroku. "Are you all right? Where's Ihou?" Miroku shook his head mutely, climbing to his feet to glare down his attacker.

Kirin looked far less confident facing off against the half demon in front of him. With a sudden burst of speed, the demon disappeared into the trees behind him. Inu Yasha took two steps after him, but stopped. Still scowling, he looked over his shoulder at the monk. "Are you all right?"

Miroku nodded slightly. A sudden weight against his leg made him look down and in a second Ihou was swept into his arms again. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Kagome replaced her weapons. "We talked about it and you're still our friend, Miroku. We won't just abandon you like this. I'm not happy about this, but . . . you're still my friend."

Inu Yasha just nodded his agreement. Suddenly he held out his hand to the monk. When Miroku just stared at the offered hand, the hanyou sighed. "Look. I don't like it, plain and simple. But like it or not, you're family now. I suppose there could be worse." Still blinking stupidly, Miroku clasped the clawed hand hesitantly and shook it. Inu Yasha leaned down towards the hiding bundle that was Ihou. "Hey."

The boy turned slightly to look at him warily. "Do you want something?" He asked, falling back on the obviously trained phrase.

Inu Yasha moved his hand, this time holding it out to the little child. "I'm gonna help Miroku get you home, deal?"

Ihou stared at the hand for a moment as if it were poisoned. With a halfhearted smile, he wrapped his hands around the proffered fingers. "Deal," he mumbled.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	8. Discussions

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: And I'm back, with the end (sort of) of the story! There's going to be an epilogue, but this is the last part of the story itself. I had some trouble writing it, which is why it took so long, but I've finally got it done. It turned out a little more talk-y than I'd wanted, Sessy particularly talks more than his character should. But there wasn't really a better way to wrap things up, so, sorry. I think it's pretty good in the end, just not quite how I imagined it. I thank all my readers, as usual. Redrose will be happy to see Inu Yasha's change in attitude towards his brother, too (though the two still hate each other).

**A / N 2:** Mihoshi made a comment and it reminded me of something! She liked Inu Yasha's line about not caring if it's a guy – it's Sesshoumaru. I am very fond of that scene, myself, because I see it as a very realistic situation. In most yaoi fics like this, the group finds out that a character is gay and they just accept it. A happy ideal, to be sure, but it doesn't work that way. Unfortunately people are stupid and prejudiced. While Inu Yasha was just pissed about the person, Kagome was more upset about the gender. She thankfully got over it mostly. Sango had other reasons to be upset (sorry MiroxSango fans) but the homophobia played a strong part there, too. I'm an advocate of gay rights, which is part of why I noticed this discrepancy between fanfics and real life. So sorry for babbling on, but I thought it was important to say all this and I forgot last chappie. Anyway, on with the story, please enjoy.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sesshoumaru was waiting for them as they cleared the last few trees before the palace grounds began, alerted well ahead of time to their arrival. He stood on the path, glaring death as Inu Yasha stepped out first. "Why are you here? Come to try and take off my head this time?" He demanded. His eyes softened somewhat as they fell on Miroku.

Inu Yasha crossed his arms. "Ain't like I want to be here."

Sesshoumaru's scowl melted completely, surprise clear on his face as the rest of the party came into view. Ihou was clinging to Miroku's robes, just looking around to the front. Sesshoumaru drew two shaky breaths before he knelt. The child needed no encouragement, sprinting to his arms. Sesshoumaru's face was tight, eyes closed and jaw clenched. A moment later he stood, hand wrapped tightly around one little hand. He looked at Inu Yasha, stone faced. "Name your reward."

The hanyou snorted loudly. "You would put a price tag on your own son's life?"

The other's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course not. But you would." The younger boy growled, clearly ready to strike his sibling. Sesshoumaru merely stared. "You are, of course, welcome to stay." He ground the words out, as if forcing the pleasantries. "Let me know if you need anything."

Kagome put one hand on Inu Yasha's shoulder, calming him. "We'd be happy to stay-"

"As close to the front gate as possible," Inu Yasha snapped.

Sesshoumaru let his eyes drop again, taking in the black hair at his hip. "I will have the room prepared." He turned, leading them onto the grounds.

When they reached the entrance room, Miroku separated from the group slightly, walking further into the estate. "Where're you going?" Shippo asked.

Miroku paused, but didn't look back at them. "I'm tired and I need to rest. I can stay in the room I had last time." He hurried his pace, not wanting to know what the reaction to his statement would be.

His room hadn't been changed, he noted idly. The futon was still angled the way he'd moved it, with the head facing away from the door. An extra blanket had been folded beside the bed; Miroku could only assume it was because of the recent chill that was coming in the nights. Against one wall, there was a low table, the only furniture in the room, and a vase of flowers resting on it. Miroku frowned, going to examine them. They were fresh, perhaps only a day old, and since Sesshoumaru had had no way of knowing he was coming to the palace, it meant new flowers were put here often. Dumbstruck, Miroku gently fingered the only other thing on the table – a dried orange blossom.

"Miroku-sama!" The cry was loud enough to make the monk jump and he turned to face the door, raising his staff slightly in defense. A small, dark-haired blur slammed into his leg, wrapping short arms as tightly as it could. "Miroku-sama's back!"

Miroku pulled away slightly. When that did nothing to dislodge the child currently attached to his leg, he knelt and pried her hands away. "Rin-chan. It's good to see you again."

"Do you like the flowers, Miroku-sama? I pick them fresh every day!" She immediately started babbling, smiling incredibly at the man holding her shoulders. "Sesshoumaru-sama said you should always have flowers, so I get the prettiest ones. Isn't Ihou so great? He's already learning to fight a little. I was so scared when we had to leave him. Jaken-sama said, though, it would be worse to lose us both. But now you brought him back and we can be all together again!"

"That's enough, Rin." Miroku looked up from the child to see Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway. "Miroku needs to rest."

The child latched onto Miroku a moment more in another tight hug before ducking away, giggling madly. Miroku watched her trot off down the hallway before standing slowly. "Is she all right?"

The dog demon nodded slightly. "She has a few minor burns. Nothing as bad as Ihou." At Miroku's quick look, the demon lowered his eyes. "He is asleep. Although he gave a brief recount of his journey here. You ran across Kirin."

There was no trace of a question and Miroku rubbed his throat slightly. "That demon? He actually ran across us. Who-"

"Someone I need to deal with. You should rest before dinner."

Miroku slowly looked away, lowering his eyes and moving towards the futon. "Ihou, he . . . He's beautiful." The monk was staring at his hand, flexing it slightly. "How much have you told him?"

"He knows you were hurt once. I have mentioned nothing about the curse itself."

Miroku looked back up at the demon lord. "He needs to know. He's clearly old enough to understand, there's no telling how long-"

"He is going through enough training. He does not need something else to worry over."

"Sesshoumaru-" Miroku hesitated, not quite sure what to say. "He- Ihou . . ." He finally stopped trying, sinking onto the futon in frustration. "I'll see you at dinner."

Sesshoumaru nodded slightly before leaving. Miroku buried his face as soon as the demon was gone. He'd been so thrilled when he'd first seen Ihou. He had felt this incredible relief to know that he finally had an heir along with an overpowering need to end the curse as soon as possible simply so he could protect the boy. Slowly he realized it wasn't entirely accurate, after all, Sesshoumaru had done this so that _he_ would have an heir. Miroku wasn't sure why he thought he would even be a part of the picture.

The monk shifted, picking up the dried flower on his table. No, he had a place, somewhere. He just had no idea where that was.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Inu Yasha was quietly stewing beside the door, glaring death at the people gathered around the nearby table. Kagome was dishing up her food while Shippo and Rin were already deeply engaged in a hyperactive conversation about the strong demons they'd seen. Sesshoumaru sat all but motionless with Ihou eating quietly on one side of him. Miroku was on his other side, staring at his plate while he ate.

Diner passed slowly this way until Miroku was finished. He shifted his gaze, looking at Ihou silently for a moment. The boy was sitting perfectly straight, eyes trained on his own plate. His actions were so formalized it was almost painful to watch. _Training_ echoed through the monk's mind. His son was being trained to fight, to speak, to behave like a proper lord, even so young. Sighing, he looked at Sesshoumaru next. The demon wasn't eating, having finished his sparse meal long before. Miroku had a feeling he didn't eat the food for nourishment but only to keep up appearances with his human ward. The dog wasn't looking at him, his eyes were trained on the child beside him. Miroku shifted and those eyes twitched to the side to look at him, but the demon made no move as he stood. Muttering a quiet goodnight, Miroku left the room.

"If he's leaving, I'm outta here, too," Inu Yasha muttered, standing and following the boy. Miroku was startled when Inu Yasha followed him to his door. "Hey, Miroku. Listen, did you really agree to all this?"

The monk looked at his friend, memorizing the moment. It wasn't often the hanyou actually showed concern for someone, especially someone other than Kagome. "It's . . . complicated," he finally muttered.

"What's so complicated about it? Did you want to have a kid with him or didn't you?"

Miroku cringed slightly at the straightforward question, but sighed. "He didn't force me. He was intending to, but he didn't. I don't know everything that's gone on between you two, but he's not some heartless beast, Inu Yasha. You see how he looks at Ihou."

"Yeah. But I see how he looks at you, too. You really gonna leave your own kid with a guy like that?"

Miroku sighed again, crossing his arms and looking back down the hallway. "It's not really my choice, is it? I may have initiated, but he was in control as soon as I returned that bite."

For a long minute, Inu Yasha was silent, staring at the monk in front of him. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with disbelief. "Bite? You mean, like, he marked you?" Miroku looked at him, nodding uncertainly. Suddenly Inu Yasha leapt forward, shoving the monk's robes aside as if he could see the faded mark still there. "And he let you return it?"

Miroku shifted away nervously, holding his robes shut with one hand. "What are you talking about?"

"You're sure it was a mark? Not just some love bite while you two were making out or something?"

Miroku hit the dog's hands aside, his annoyance growing quickly. "He didn't call it that, but yes! I asked about demon courtship-"

"Courtship?"Inu Yasha looked ready to feint. Or hit him, Miroku wasn't sure which. "Courtship . . . Miroku, that's not something for _courtship_."

The monk's breath caught. "I-it's not?" Great, now what had he gotten himself into?

Inu Yasha just shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day when that self-serving bastard-" He stopped, blinking at the look the monk was giving him. "Uh – Look, marking is done in courtship, but it's sort of the last thing. Demons don't mark a mate until they're ready to commit to them."

Miroku just blinked at him for another few seconds, processing those words. Once his mind wrapped around the meaning, he jerked back, staring at the other boy in shock. "Commit like marriage?"

The dog shook his head. "Marriage is sort of unknown in the demon world. But yeah, I guess, sort of. You're sure he marked you?"

Miroku nodded, stunned. "Yeah, I'm sure." Suddenly he groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. "I have no idea what I'm doing here! If what you're telling me is true, then . . . but he never said that, so maybe he doesn't feel that way?" Helplessly the monk shook his head. "Nothing about this makes any sense at all. Everything's just gotten messed up." Feeling worse now than he had earlier, Miroku slid open the door to his room, going inside and flopping on his bed.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kagome paced in the entry hall, deciding what to do. Put simply, she wanted to meddle. The night before, she'd heard the very end of Miroku and Inu Yasha's conversation. She'd woken up fairly early and explored the palace a little, coming across Ihou in the gardens. The boy's hair was once again silver, had been since the sun went down the previous day, and he was running around the frog-like Jaken, tormenting the creature.

For a while, Kagome had watched the child play. It wasn't long before a young man approached the two. Jaken and Ihou both stopped, bowing slightly, and then the imp had run back into the palace. The young man – clearly a demon of some sort – had drawn Ihou aside almost at once, instructing him in various ways, clearly putting him through various training. Kagome had left, angry. The boy had been lost until the day before and he wasn't even given a day of rest!

Kagome was pacing, trying to decide if meddling would serve any purpose or if the danger of cornering Sesshoumaru outweighed the benefit. Finally she walked down one hallway with purpose. Only, she realized, she wasn't sure where to find the dog demon. Eventually she wandered back to the gardens, startled to find the object of her search there. Sesshoumaru was watching Ihou with his trainer.

"Um, Sesshoumaru?" The demon gave no indication that he'd heard her and Kagome stepped closer to him. "Ano, Sesshoumaru . . . sama?"

"You needn't address me so formally. I'm still indebted to you."

Kagome nodded, turning out to look at the child herself. He was standing perfectly straight in front of the grown demon. They seemed to be having a conversation, but from this distance, the miko couldn't make out the words. The little boy's face was scrunched up, though, as he tried to recall what exactly he was supposed to be saying. "Don't you think this is a little much for someone so young?" Kagome found herself saying.

For a moment, the demon lord was quiet. Without taking his eyes off the boy in front of them, he answered her question. "Ihou is my son. If he does not learn how to behave, it will be difficult for him later."

"But he's only a baby."

Sesshoumaru turned to her then and Kagome shrank back a step. "For the last two days I have believed that boy to be dead because of one of my enemies. If he doesn't learn to act properly, he could never be my heir simply because he would not be taken seriously. What I do for that boy is so he can have a future at all and I do not need to justify myself to you."

Kagome glared back at him. "What about Miroku? Do you need to justify yourself to him? That boy is his heir, too!" For a long minute, the demon simply stared at her until finally Kagome ducked her head, backing down from the fight. Her next words were muttered to the dirt. "Do you love him?"

"Whom are you talking about?"

Kagome looked up, startled, but Sesshoumaru was watching his son again. "What difference does it make who I'm talking about?"

"Quite a bit. Are you referring to Ihou, or Miroku?"

For a moment, the miko was quiet. "Ihou."

"More than you would understand."

Another moment of silence. "What about Miroku?" This time Sesshoumaru gave no answer. After another pause, Kagome asked her next question. "Did you force him?"

The demon's golden eyes shifted to look at her and Kagome squirmed under the attention. "You would not understand."

"Answer the question." There was no hesitation in her voice this time.

"I gave him a choice-"

"That's not the same thing! Did you force him?"

For a moment, the man was silent, watching Ihou as he recited some politics to his teacher. Finally he turned, stalking away from the garden and the woman there. "No."

Kagome didn't stay where she was, following the other instead. "So do you love him?" Again she got no response. "Why won't you talk to me about this? Miroku is my friend-"

"Whom you abandoned when you discovered he'd slept with another man."

Kagome blinked at the demon. "How-how do you know about that?"

"Ihou has recounted his journey to me." For a time the two stood in silence, stopped in the middle of a hallway. Slowly Sesshoumaru turned to look at the teen and she could see the quiet threat on his otherwise blank face. "You helped return my son to me and for that I owe you all a great debt. Do not think that means you can question me about things you clearly don't understand." Without another word, he turned again, continuing on his way. This time Kagome made no move to follow.

-o-o-o-o-o-

It was nearing dinner again before Sesshoumaru saw anyone again. He was surprised, though he didn't show it, to find Kagome kneeling at a low table, apparently waiting for the demon lord. He stepped into the room, sliding the door shut behind him and Kagome looked up to meet his eyes. "I want to ask you a couple more questions." At the demon's silence, she frowned. "You owe me, right?"

Slowly he moved to the table, kneeling across from the girl. "What do you want?" he growled at her.

"It's about Ihou," she began, looking at her hands intently. "Why doesn't he wear beads?"

"He is not cursed," came the reply as if it were the most natural thing in the world to say.

"That's not true, though. He is cursed, it just isn't there yet. You're obsessed with training him for the future, but that's a part of his future, too, isn't it? Someday he will have to wear those beads."

"No, he won't."

"But when Miroku dies-"

"He won't." Kagome stopped, blinking at the demon slightly. Sesshoumaru met her gaze evenly, no emotion playing on his face. "Naraku will be dead long before then, my son will never need those beads."

It took a moment for Kagome to recover enough to ask her next question. She'd thought all this out and it was important that she got answers to all of them. "What about Miroku? I'm sure he'd want to know you feel that way, even if it's just for Ihou and not him."

"It will not change anything, there is no need to tell him anything."

"Of course it would! Miroku's so alone right now, he needs someone-"

"Knowing my feelings will only complicate things more for the monk. He has already lost someone he cares about because of me and it would not change his quest in any case."

Kagome lowered her eyes, staring at her hands again. "Sango-"

"Miroku would have been happy if things stayed as they were. He has already admitted he cannot stop his quest until Naraku is dead. There is no point in adding useless details for him to worry over."

Distantly, Kagome nodded. It wasn't exactly the answer she'd been expecting, but at least she gotten an answer. She only had one other question. "You were right, I wasn't fair to him. Miroku is my friend and it shouldn't matter to me what he does on his own. But whatever his reasons for doing it, he shouldn't have to face any of this alone." She looked up with determination, trying her best to pin the demon lord with her gaze. "Do you love him?"

Sesshoumaru looked completely unaffected, looking back evenly. "Are all human females this persistent to gain information they have been denied?" he asked, voice perfectly calm.

Kagome just groaned, dropping her eyes again. But at least she'd gotten two answers, that was something. Slowly she climbed to her feet. "Thank you for telling me at least something. I won't bother you again about this."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to sigh, instead lightly squeezing the bridge of his nose. He was in their debt, he kept telling himself, until they left his palace he had to be kind to them. They'd saved Ihou, he had to be kind to them. He was somewhat surprised Inu Yasha had stayed as long as he had, but that didn't change the facts and Sesshoumaru was determined to keep his word and repay the debt.

As the human girl left the room, Sesshoumaru took a deep breath. She smelled strongly of flowers – an artificial scent at that – and as she left and the air cleared, he used it as a way to relax. Except . . . Sesshoumaru looked around the room, sniffing the air slightly. Now that the overpowering sweet smell was gone . . . Sesshoumaru stalked to the second door of the room, sliding it open roughly.

Miroku looked highly upset. He was pissed, and with good reason. The monk's hands were tied behind his back, his arms pinned to his sides by more ropes, and he was gagged. The boy's eyebrow twitched slightly as Sesshoumaru crossed the floor, kneeling beside him. He pulled away the gag, waiting silently for an explanation. Miroku just growled slightly, struggling with his bonds. "I swear I am going to kill them," he muttered.

Carefully Sesshoumaru undid the ropes, still rather shocked to find the boy like this. "What is going on?"

"I'm not sure," Miroku snapped. I was watching Ihou play when Inu Yasha grabbed me from behind. He tied me up and dumped me in here, I assume, so I could hear your conversation with Kagome." Once his hands were free, he pulled away the other ropes, throwing them savagely to the ground in an obvious show of his anger.

Sesshoumaru let the monk rage, watching him closely. "She is clearly concerned for you, though her methods seem to lack something fundamental." Miroku was still grumbling somewhat, but his barbs held no particular venom. "She seems determined to interfere," Sesshoumaru whispered, leaning forward suddenly. He caught Miroku's chin, tilting the boy's head up. "And now that I know her reasons, I have a few questions of my own." Miroku had gone still, eyes somewhat wide. After a moment, the demon pulled back, releasing the monk. "I was correct, then. You would rather stay with them."

Miroku frowned again. "You can't make decisions like that without asking me. You have no idea how I feel-"

"Do you want Ihou to wear those beads?"

Miroku stopped, startled by the sudden question. For a moment, he floundered for words. He hid it well, but Sesshoumaru could see a few tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "No, of course not. I never want him to go through all that. But . . ." He bowed his head, staring at his covered hand. "It's not a matter of what I want, it never has been. I will leave with Inu Yasha and Kagome because it's what I have to do. I-"

He stopped again, startled as Sesshoumaru gently grabbed his left hand. The demon held it palm up, placing a gentle kiss across the healed burns before speaking again. "I will not answer her last question. Ever. But you told Ihou that you loved him," the pads of his fingers brushed the thicker scar, silently adding 'and me' to the sentence.

Miroku didn't pull away, as the demon was expecting. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against the dog's shoulder. "It's just like you said. Feelings aren't going to change anything. For either of us."

For a moment neither of them moved. Gently, Sesshoumaru brushed his hand through the monk's hair, tilting his head up again. "Once Naraku is dead, then I may tell you." Miroku's eyes slipped closed, finally shedding the tears. The 'if I survive that long' was almost tangible in the air and Sesshoumaru bent, kissing the man thoroughly and banishing the thought. "When that day comes, I'll ask you to stay with me again." He kissed him, again, quietly stroking his hair.

In the hallway, Kagome leaned heavily on Inu Yasha's arm. "Well?" she asked anxiously.

Inu Yasha growled slightly. "Keep quiet or he'll hear us. That idiot's ears are just as good as mine, ya know."

"Did he tell him he loved him or not?"

Inu Yasha shook his head. "Nah, but he's talking about asking him to stay."

Kagome cheered quietly, smiling brightly. "I knew it, I knew it! I'm brilliant!"

"Miroku also said he's gonna kill us for tying him up." The miko was still cheering. It was a small price for such a magnificent victory, in her opinion.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A / N:** A fairly good ending, ne? Not quite everything is wrapped up, but it's mostly taken care of. I hope everyone enjoyed! I'm not sure how long it will take to get up the epilogue – not too long, I think, maybe a couple weeks. It will tak another little time jump, but you'll have to wait and see, hehe. I want to do some art for this story, too (though I can't draw worth jack and have nowhere to post). If I do get that done, I'll do something to let you all know. I'm particularly interested in drawing Ihou, both as a child and older. We'll see about that. Anyway, I'll see you all again soon!


	9. Epilogue

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: An Heir

**Genre**: InuYasha - Angst / Romance

**Rating**: T / PG-13

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi. Possible NCS but not really, depends on how you look at it.

**Pairings**: Gradually Miroku / Sesshoumaru

**Spoilers**: generally very few . . . in fact I can't think of a single one that isn't common knowledge.

**Author** **Notes**: Here it is, everyone! The much anticipated (I think) epilogue. It has a different feel than the rest of the story, but I like the way it came out. Originally this was meant to be a seperate story, just like the 'sequel' but since it didn't flesh out properly, it just gets to be the same story. I wanted to show some of how Ihou has grown and also follow up the whole Miroku x Sango issue (Sorry fans of that pairing). Anyway, I do appologise for the wait, it took a couple weeks longer than I expected. I do hope you all enjoy, and thanks for reading my story as a whole. I want to write more Miro x Sess, so keep an eye out for that (But don't expect it anytime soon). On with the show, thanks again, and please review

**A / N 2:** Ack! I almost forgot! I think I mentioned I wanted to do some art for this story despite my utter lack of talent. If anyone is interested in seeing that, I have an account at devientArt - user name Kalanoa. It'll be another week or so, but I will be putting up my attempts to draw Ihou and possibly some other scenes. Miro x Sessy goodness, if I can manage. I don't expect them to be wonderful, but with any luck they'll be decent.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sango smiled widely, enjoying the feel of the sun on her back while she trained. Beside her, Kohaku also looked happy, practicing with his sickle. Of course, the boy seemed to have a permanent smile since Naraku's death more than a year ago. Still, it was heart warming to see it and it just amplified Sango's own happiness. Her smile dimmed when she felt someone approaching them, however. The elder sibling made sure to put herself between her brother and the tree line, glaring into the foliage.

Slowly, a demon walked towards the two of them. His hair was long and silver, pulled back from his face and his piercing golden eyes. He was dressed in a startlingly white kimono with purple and red accents, making him stand out against the green of the light woods. He stopped at the edge of the trees, staring plaintively at the siblings, almost as if studying them. Sango frowned, fingering the strap of Hiraikotsu; she could feel how strong this demon was. "Who are you?"

The demon's eyes widened slightly before they darted to the side, no longer meeting the woman's eyes. "Sango, it's . . ." He hesitated, looking at her face again before straightening, his face emotionless once more. "It's Ihou."

Sango's mouth dropped in shock and she took a step back. "Ihou?" she muttered as if she couldn't believe it. He'd grown so much in only a year and a half, easily mistaken for a teenager, were he human. "Why are you here?" She demanded, the caution creeping back into her voice.

"Sango, I came to ask a favor of you." His eyes twitched away again, belaying the nervousness that was nowhere in his voice or posture. "I want you to come with me, to visit Miroku."

The demon slayer sputtered suddenly. "Miroku? Why would I want to see him?"

Those golden eyes were suddenly on her again, anger flashing in their depths. "You haven't seen him since the final battle with Naraku! Why would you _not_ want to see him?"

"At the end of that battle, Miroku made his choice. He went with Sesshoumaru."

The demon's anger hardened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Of course he did, it's not as if he had anyplace else to go." For a minute, the two glared at each other, Kohaku hesitantly looking out from behind his sister. Abruptly Ihou dropped his eyes, retreating from the argument. "Please Sango, I'm only asking for a few hours." He held out his hand in silent invitation, looking at her with a pleading expression.

For another long moment, the girl didn't move, but she was no longer glaring at the young demon. Instead, her eyes were locked on his extended hand and the string of blue beads wrapped around it. "Why are you wearing those?" Her voice sounded small when she spoke.

Ihou started, glancing down at his own hand quickly. His fingers curled into a fist after a hesitation and he dropped his arm to hang by his side once more. It seemed like an effort to look into Sango's eyes again. "Please will you come see him?"

"Why are you wearing those beads? What's going on?" Her voice was more demanding this time, but she received no answer. "But – but he's dead! Naraku's dead, I was there!"

"I don't know anything about the battle. Sesshoumaru-sama ordered me to stay away and that's what I did."

"I was there, I know exactly what happened. And believe me when I tell you that bastard is finally dead. What's going on? What's wrong with Miroku?"

Ihou looked away again, focusing intently on the ground. He gave a short, bitter laugh and a pained smile crossed his face. "He's dying."

-o-o-o-o-o-

The day's travel was spent in near total silence. Sesshoumaru's palace was a few days travel away, even at demon speeds, and the small group conserved their energy for travel. It wasn't until the sun had long since set and they stopped for the night that Sango tried to stir some conversation. "I don't understand," she mumbled around a mouthful of cooked meat.

Ihou was focused on the fire, eating his own meal without glancing at it. "Neither do we," he whispered after a slight pause.

"Naraku is dead." It should have been the answer. Sango kept repeating it, waiting for Ihou to realize that this was all some horrible misunderstanding.

The half-demon just shook his head. "Yeah, I know. But the curse isn't gone."

"I don't understand." Sango's voice had regained that quiet, lost tone it had held earlier that day.

Ihou was silent for a few minutes before heaving a great sigh. "I don't know anything about the battle, I only know what happened afterward, when Miroku came home."

"Home," Sango whispered, distracted. "He really thinks of that place as home."

"And why shouldn't he? It's not as if he could follow-" He cut himself off, staring at the girl's profile in the darkness. "He had nowhere else to go. Besides, I wasn't likely to leave and he wanted very badly to spend at least some of my childhood with me." He sighed again, leaning back and looking at the stars. "For a while, everything was okay. We were happy and we all felt safe. Miroku enjoyed playing with me and Rin and Sesshoumaru-sama was just . . . happy.

"For a long time, though, Miroku refused to check and see if it was really gone. He was scared, plain and simple. If he looked, the curse might have been gone, or it might have still been there. He was scared that if it was still there, there was nothing more he could do. It took months just to get him to check, and when he did . . ."

Ihou had begun to toy with the beads around his right wrist and he stopped suddenly, glaring at them as if they were responsible for all of this. "That's when I started to wear the beads. That's the first time I heard exactly what the curse was. And I wanted to kill Naraku myself, I've never wanted anything so badly. Naraku's dead and the curse is still there and now there's not a damned thing we can _do_ about it!"

Sango had pulled Kohaku close to her side, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "There must be something-"

"There's not!" Ihou snapped, scowling at the woman before hastily adjusting his gaze to scowl at their fire instead. "A couple weeks ago Ji-san . . . Miroku started to get really weak. He started staying outside, away from the palace, and he won't let anyone near him when he sleeps. Sesshoumaru-sama tried to convince him he was just sick, but Miroku's convinced it's the curse. He made sure we all know what to do when he – when - when it happens. And he asked to see you."

Ihou had to stop speaking, one hand scrubbing at his eyes for several moments. When he stopped, he looked at Sango again and his eyes were angry. "You should hear the way he talks about you. Like he's the one that did something wrong when you're the one that abandoned him. You're the one that acted like you'd been betrayed, like I was the result of some torrid affair when the truth is that it was one big misunderstanding and a whole hell of a lot of luck. And you _got_ what you wanted out of Naraku's death! Meanwhile ji-san's still . . ."

Sango wouldn't meet his eyes. "Why are you telling me this?"

Ihou was staring at the fire again, his voice softer and infinitely sadder. "Because I want you to do something for me. When we get there and you see him, I want you to smile. I want you to hug him and smile – cry if you can. I want you to cling to his side and forgive him and tell him you never should have left. I don't really care if you mean it, but I want you to tell him and make sure he believes you."

"I will," she whispered without hesitation. "And he will believe me."

There was another long silence before Ihou spoke again, still staring at the flames. "I'm glad you got what you wanted. I just wish it could have worked out for us, too."

-o-o-o-o-o-

They cleared the trees surrounding the palace to be greeted by Sesshoumaru. Ihou was instantly tense, hands shaking in fists, breath suddenly ragged. The titles dropped from his speech looking at the demon lord and he stuttered out a feeble "Otou-san?"

Sesshoumaru met his gaze evenly. "He's sleeping. I didn't want you to wake him accidentally." Ihou sagged in relief, one hand raking through his bangs. Sesshoumaru's eyes drifted over to Sango, studying her for a long time before shifting again to stare at Kohaku. The boy was still behind his sister slightly, peeking around her nervously. "You aren't much older than Rin."

The young demon slayer jumped, startled by the voice, and looked up at its owner. "No, I guess not," he mumbled, shaking his head slightly.

Sesshoumaru didn't move but seemed to grow older all of a sudden. "In the morning, when we visit Miroku, I want you to keep Rin company." Then, in a much softer voice directed towards Ihou, "She is not handling this well."

The half demon dropped his head, staring at the ground. It was clear that he wasn't handling it well either, but he at least had training and formality to hide that fact somewhat. "We'll have to put you up for the night, please come with me," he tossed over his shoulder, not even looking back to see if the siblings were following him.

Sango slipped into the offered room, Kohaku and Kilala right behind her. Once inside, she looked back at her guide; he was still staring at the floor. She had a hand on his shoulder without thinking about it and when the boy looked up she struggled desperately to think of something to say. She wanted to tell him it would be all right, that everything was going to be fine. She hadn't even seen Miroku in more than a year, had barely crossed paths with him for months before that. Now she was presented with news that he was dying . . . all she wanted to do was go back and make it all better. The thought was no more plausible than her assurances and after a moment Sango withdrew her hand without saying a word. Ihou's eyes dropped again and he tugged at the beads around his wrist as if they chaffed before turning on his heel and stalking down the hallway.

Despite the exhaustion of traveling three days straight, Sango couldn't sleep. Kohaku and Kilala dozed fitfully, but Sango stayed up. She stared out a window, trying to think of what she would say in the morning. Surely Miroku deserved . . . something. Something more than she could give. The sun had hardly started to rise when there was a soft knock at her door. Sango obediently went over and opened it, not at all surprised to find Ihou waiting for her, staring at the ground. "Ji-san usually wakes up about now."

Sango nodded, glancing back at her brother before slipping out the door. A few minutes later Sango was looking out over the front gardens. For a few minutes the two stood there in silence. Then, like a wraith, Sesshoumaru drifted through the dawn mist that hadn't yet disappeared. "He's awake."

"I thought he wasn't letting anyone near him when he was asleep?" Sango asked.

This received her a dark glare from Ihou and a blank look from Sesshoumaru. "You think we'd leave him alone?" The younger demon growled. "_We're_ not going to abandon him! Yeah, we'll make sure he doesn't know, but-"

"Ihou!" The boy fell instantly silent, left hand scrubbing at his eyes, right hand shaking in a fist at his side. "You will not cry in front of him again. You will not yell at her or rave about anything in his presence." Ihou was nodding numbly as Sesshoumaru stared at him. The demon lord turned to Sango. "I trust I do not have to dictate your actions as well?"

"What am I supposed to do? What should I say to him?"

Sesshoumaru gave no response, turning and floating back through the garden. Miroku was at the far end of the garden, slumped on a low stone bench, staring at the plants around him. His hand was curled tightly against his chest. As they drew near, Miroku stirred, looking up at his visitors. He smiled, looking first at Ihou. "You're back." In a burst of speed, Ihou was beside the monk, arms wrapped tightly around him. Over his shoulder Miroku was staring now at Sango, his smile smaller but still pure.

When Ihou pulled away, he moved behind the demon slayer, clearing the space between the two. Sango moved forward slowly, lowering herself onto the bench beside Miroku. The monk shifted, moving his covered hand to rest behind him, putting his whole body between the hole and the girl beside him. There was a moment of hesitation, of complete silence. Sango leaned against him suddenly, clinging to his robes almost desperately. After another moment of shock, Miroku's free hand circled around the girl's shoulders, his covered hand still hidden behind him.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sango felt lost, and not just because she didn't know where she was in the sprawling palace grounds. After spending the day in silence with Miroku, she was wandering around, trying to figure things out. Sesshoumaru was still with the monk, but Ihou had disappeared hours ago. Jaken had wandered over with the children at one point, but they were off playing elsewhere again. She wasn't looking for anything and so was surprised when she stumbled across something. At first the low grunts and muffled curses startled the demon slayer and she sprinted around a couple of turns to find what was wrong.

Ihou was enraged. He twisted on himself, slashing out with a slim katana again and again. He was surrounded by straw dummies, most of which were damaged beyond recognition already. There was a slash of a sword followed by a swift flick of the boy's wrist and a slim whip of energy lanced out, cutting deeply into the dummies. For a long time Sango stood transfixed, watching this violent display of anger and frustration. This had clearly been going on for some time, but the boy showed no signs of tiring.

Eventually he did slow, turning to look at his one person audience. Now that he wasn't moving, Sango could see his eyes were puffy and slightly red. After a moment the boy sheathed his sword, walking slowly towards the demon slayer. It was the girl to speak first. "Are you all right?"

"There should be something I can do and there's not. How the hell do you think I am?" He sighed before pulling his shoulders back, eyes losing the emotion buried in them. "I'm fine," he bit out, not convincing Sango in the slightest.

"Will you take a walk with me?" Ihou looked surprised at this, but he fell into step right beside her. "Do you know what's bothering him the most?"

Ihou nodded without hesitation. "It's not the curse in his own hand. He's so much more worried for me." He was playing with his beads again. "I guess you're more clever than I thought, I didn't think you'd notice that."

"Miroku's never been worried about himself. It's always been about his family." Sango locked her gaze on Ihou for a second before quickly looking away. "He doesn't deserve this." She reached for the boy, but it was hesitant as she leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder. It was awkward as he took her hands in his own, leaning against each other for support.

"You should know something. Otou-san has a plan."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Have you thought about what I told you?"

Miroku didn't move, staring at the ground in front of him.

Sesshoumaru reached up, brushing his hand along the monk's jaw. "I think it would be for the best."

"And if the curse does move on?"

The demon leaned in, nipping at his neck before pulling back. "It won't. Naraku is dead, Ihou's beads are just a precaution. This curse _will_ end with you." His hand wrapped painfully tight around Miroku's right hand, as if sealing the hole and his promise with the action. For long moments the two didn't move and stayed silent. Miroku was waiting for the demon's question, wondering if it would come . . . "What will you do when you wake up?"

Miroku leaned more heavily against the taller man. "If it works . . . I don't know."

Sesshoumaru leaned in again, pressing their lips together this time. "Tell me what you want to do. I don't want to see you like this if I can change it . . ."

"All right," Miroku finally sighed. "All right."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Sango stared blankly in front of her, certain her ears were playing tricks on her. Ihou still held her close to his side, but she had stiffened and they weren't moving anymore. After a long silence and still without looking up, she struggled to find her voice. "Are you serious about this?"

There was a bitter laugh from above her. "It's best, isn't it? If it works, everything will be all right again. And if it doesn't, it's better than watching him waste away like this."

"You're talking about killing him!"

"I'm talking about saving him!" The two separated, each glaring at the other. "It's not the same as death, Otou-san can – Sesshoumaru-sama can bring him back to life. The tenseiga can save his life."

"You're still talking about killing Miroku," Sango accused, glaring at him. "And you expect me to stand by and do nothing about it?"

"If the curse kills him, there will be no body to revive. At least if we do it on our own, we can spare him that pain."

Sango's eyes latched onto his hand again and the anger seeped out of her features. "The curse . . . you'd be willing to take it on yourself, wouldn't you?"

Ihou's eyes dropped. "Naraku is dead. There is a very real possibility that I won't inherit the curse at all. If I do, then so be it, it's a small price to pay if we can bring ji-san back whole."

All the anger between them was gone now as Sango reached out to take his covered hand. "If you bring him back just to see that you have been cursed, he would die again. If the curse passes on . . . it would be kinder to leave him in peace." She could see the tears in the boy's eyes, but he turned swiftly, freeing himself from her grasp and stalking back through the plants.

It was only a few minutes before the two were greeted by Sesshoumaru. The demon looked gravely at his son before focusing on Sango. "You should find your brother-"

"I'm not leaving his side. If you're going to do this, then I'm going to be there."

Slightly startled eyes shifted to look at Ihou. The boy wouldn't meet the gaze. "I told her about it. Is it time then?"

There was a pause and then the demon lord gave a sharp nod, turning and leading the way back towards Miroku. "He's scared," the demon said suddenly, deep voice cutting through the silence. "If he asks you to leave, you will leave. Anything he wants."

Ihou leaned closer to the demon slayer. "Sesshoumaru's poison is somewhat slower than other options, but it is mostly painless. You must be brave and smile. You cannot cry in front of him or he may lose his nerve. Can you really stand by and do nothing?" Sango looked at him, numb. The words rang so close to what Ihou had been told that morning, orders that they both had to adhere to. Feeling suddenly weak, the girl managed to nod, and then they were in sight of the monk again.

He hadn't moved and sat slumped over, head resting in his left hand. His right was again curled tightly to his chest, clutching the threat as close to himself as possible. As they came closer, he looked up, obviously surprised to see more than just Sesshoumaru returning. Ihou's face was locked, no emotion showing through while Sango was able to offer a small encouraging smile.

Sesshoumaru nodded at the two before going to the monk, kneeling in front of him. The demon leaned forward in a kiss, but Miroku turned away from him. Sesshoumaru's grip was gentle but determined as he moved Miroku back to facing him. "When you wake up, you're going to leave with her. The least you can give me is a last kiss."

"I haven't said I'm leaving-"

The monk was silenced by the demon's lips firmly on his. At the same time his fingers slipped down to caress the boy's neck, his claws easily piercing the delicate flesh. Miroku stiffened, but didn't pull away. Only a firm grip on Sango's wrist kept her where she was.

After a minute, Sesshoumaru pulled away, his hand still holding the monk's shoulder loosely. Miroku's breath was ragged, his eyes unfocused. He pitched forward, gripping almost desperately at the strong chest in front of him. Then suddenly he shoved the comfort away, the move toppling him over the other side of the bench.

Sesshoumaru jerked towards him, but stopped before he was within arms length. He shifted quickly to the side, blocking Sango before she could complete the action herself. He held her firm, not letting her get an inch closer to Miroku. Quickly he hissed into her ear, "You knew what this was going to be and you agreed to it. He doesn't know what's going to happen and you _will not_ go against his wishes." Sango stilled, looking at the demon seriously. "He wants to face this alone so that's what he'll do."

"You can honestly say you won't even try and comfort him?"

The demon's eyes narrowed dangerously and he dropped his hold without warning. "I have other things to worry about." The demon stepped away and for the first time Sango realized she'd slipped free of Ihou's hold without even trying. Shocked, she spun on her heel, looking back at the young demon. He was crouched on the ground, both arms wrapped around his chest tightly. He wasn't crying; his whole body was shaking, but no tears escaped his eyes.

Sango turned away from the two demons, watching Miroku closely now. It took a minute for his eyes to close and she waited another minute before stepping over to him. She knelt carefully, holding her hand over his lips. When she felt no breath, she turned back to the demons behind her. "Sesshoumaru."

The dog demon glanced her way before focusing again on Ihou. He pried the boy's hand away, shifting away the covering to inspect his palm. A moment later he stood, unsheathing his own katana and stalking towards Sango. She scurried out of the way moments before the blade sliced through the air. Then Sesshoumaru sheathed the blade and knelt, gathering the fallen monk in his arm. "I'm taking him inside. I'll send word when he wakes up."

Sango watched the two of them leave before walking over to Ihou. The boy was still shaking, hunched over. Slowly Sango knelt beside him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "It's all right. It's over now, you can cry if you want." The words were barely out of her mouth before Ihou pitched forward, burying his face in her shoulder, soaking it in minutes.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Miroku lay on his side in bed, staring at his hand with no small amount of amazement. Sesshoumaru was beside him, silent, and Sango stood against the wall near his head. In the last hour none of them had said anything. Finally Miroku shifted, looking at Sesshoumaru. "You didn't mention my head would hurt this much."

The demon smiled, slow and forced. "I'm not exactly used to people surviving my poisons." The awkward look left his face and he glanced at Sango before he continued. "But it worked. You'll never have to think about it again, it is time to move on with your life."

Miroku looked at Sango, too. The girl had a small wistful smile on her face. Suddenly she moved closer, bending and wrapping the monk in a hug. "I'm sorry for everything, Miroku. What I did to you wasn't right and I'm sorry." Miroku returned the hug stiffly, whispering into her ear. The moment passed slowly and Sango detached from the boy, moving towards the door.

Sesshoumaru stood quickly, stopping Sango before she leave. "Tell him you love him," he whispered, soft enough that Miroku couldn't hear.

Sango matched his tone, looking at him steadily. "Why?"

The demon frowned, the barest twitch of the lips revealing the expression. "If you tell him you love him, he'll leave with you."

The woman grinned, fearlessly catching the other's arm and pulling him further away from the monk. "He loved me back then. And I loved him. Loved. Past tense. Those are his words, Sesshoumaru-sama, but they are no less true." There was another moment of silence before Sango turned to the door again. "I'll let Ihou know everything is all right. You take care of him, of them both."

She paused again at the iron grip on her arm, looking back at Sesshoumaru uncertainly. The demon's face was unreadable, no emotion leaking through. "You are welcome here any time you want." This got him a grin and Sango backed out the door. When Sesshoumaru turned back to Miroku, the monk was smiling slightly. He smiled in return and moved right up beside him. "I've only ever asked one person to stay with me."

"I did love her," was Miroku's quiet reply. He was looking at his hand again, his gaze not broken until Sesshoumaru's hand covered the ugly scar that remained on his palm.

"Past tense?" He leaned forward, kissing Miroku deeply and then shifting to nip at his neck.

Miroku's hands tangled in his hair, gasping at the move, but he pushed him away slightly. "I did love her. And I can't imagine my life without seeing her. But I'm not leaving with her." Anything else he might have said was forgotten as the two men kissed again fiercely. As hands grew bolder, Miroku quickly decided he could wait a while longer to see his son again, but he managed to detangle enough to ask one last question. "You've never told me-"

"I love you, Miroku. I always will and you never have to doubt it."

"I never did. I love you, too." The monk shifted again, never releasing his hold, and bit the demon hard on the collarbone. There was no stopping after that, but really there was no desire to stop either.

-o-o-o- owari -o-o-o-


End file.
